Preparing for Summer

WantAnOrange

Hello. I don't post very often but find the Preparing for Winter threads so helpful. I go back and reread them each year with a cuppa.

Anyway, I wondered if anyone would like a preparing/ looking forward to summer thread, which has its own set of new expenses and challenges.

I work full time during term time but get the school holidays off so have 6 weeks of children's entertainment to plan for. Then there's the garden and cramming in all the jobs around the house that I just don't get time to do during term time.

I'd like to really make the most of this year and enjoy that time with the kids without spending a fortune so I'll be making plans and lists (I'm a list maker!), hoping to avoid those days of "we have nothing to do!"

:cool:

[Deleted User]

When my Dds were young I would 'lose' some of their toys which hadn't been used for awhile in the loft and on rainy days would get them down from the loft and they would suddenly find that they had forgotten how much they liked playing with them :):) I did this sometimes just around Christmas time when they were playing with their new presents .Often forgotten annuals and books suddenly become precious again when you haven't seen them for awhile :):)

Keep a look out for old curtains and bits for the little ones to make a 'camp' with out in the garden or even indoors when the weather is bad. Kids get lots of fun out of old curtains/blankets etc draped around a dining room table and making their own little spot :):) Fire up their imagination as its one of the greatest gifts children have they can see things in their heads that as grown-ups we have forgotten the joy of and 'camp making' is one of them

WantAnOrange

Oh I agree so much! Love those ideas. We've put together a mud pie kitchen in the garden and they have a little sand pit too.

Its my eldest who's tricky I suppose. He's 9 and just wants to play Minecraft all day or go expensive places.

I need to keep up to date with our local cinema's mini merlin offers. Sometimes they do a midday showing of a film that's been out for a while for £1.99.

We are lucky enough to live near nice beaches but I can't afford to park for days out. Parking round here (as most places probably) is tricksy. So they'll have to get used to leg power. The trick will be in packing light with 3 kids and the picnic and beach toys... :eek:

Also on the to do list will be meal planning. I'm good at winter food, hopeless in summer.

Brambleberry

Lovely thread idea- thank you WantAnOrange!

As summer approaches, there is the unveiling of the outdoor bench from its winter coat, plus checking that the nuts are all tightened and that there are no sneaky spiders lurking in corners. Same for the plastic patio set, which gets a good wash down on a sunny day.

A couple of soft blankets and a beach mat find their way into the basket near the back door ready for a sunny weekend afternoon, (or half hour after work if I'm really lucky!)

As the garden gets into full productive mode, I try to make our meal plans based on what's ready to harvest - I'm still learning how to cook some of the veg OH grows, so I need to include recipe checking in my list, otherwise things go to waste.

Later in the summer I need to make sure my back-to-school clean is done, because I like to have time available on September weekends for brambling, and making jam/crumbles etc!

Looking forward to reading what others do - here comes the summer!!:beer:

WantAnOrange

Home grown veg sounds lovely Brambleberry. We have a little veg patch, for the kids really. Last year DD1 would go disappearing amongst the peas and come out with handfuls that the rest of us couldn't spot. The rhubarb is starting to look like the jungle already. Hoping to grow courgettes too and we've started some tomatoes.

WantAnOrange

Oh and I love the deep clean, getting ready for September and uniform shopping bit. Rock n roll animal that I am.

flutterbyuk25

My first baby is due 26th July so I'll be off work from start of July on maternity leave.

Obviously I will have my hands full, but I hope to get me and baby out into the garden to enjoy the sunshine. I'm looking for a nice new sun lounger/bed as my trusty hammock died last summer . Firstly though the garden needs sorting, it's a bit muddy from all the rain and we have a few dead trees/plants. I'm contemplating getting a man in to do it as OH hates gardening. It's only a few hours work but I'd like it too look nice and maybe plant a few herbs and strawberries.

I also need to sort through the house and get rid/ebay bits we no longer need. I sorted through OH's daughter's room on weekend, his son isn't a hoarder so his won't take long! I want to sort out my wardrobe, there are things I've not worn in the year since we've moved to this house so they can go. I have already bagged up a pile of work uniform that no longer fits due to the bump and stored that in the garage, and will do the same with the rest of my bigger uniform once maternity leave starts.

The baby's nursery needs doing too (sob, I'm losing my laundry sorting room!!). We both will take a week off at end of May and will spend a day putting up furniture and some decoration. But before that we need a trip to Ikea to get the bits I want.

My grandma passed away recently and I have inherited some items from her house which we have just put in garage for now. There is a spare fridge freezer which will stay in garage but I want to fill with HM meals to tide us over when baby is here. There is a lovely chest of drawers that I want to sand down and paint to go in baby's room, and an ottoman which one day I will recover with different material.

I'm waiting for my nesting to kick in and will give the house a proper deep clean then! Oh and need to find a window man to come too.

BEAT_THE_DEBT

Picnic picnic picnic! Worth investing in a cool bag, good containers flasks and a picnic blanket stock up on drinks from home bargains and have spare change in car for the ice cream vans that spring up on the odd random walk

Wednesday2000

I usually take down the curtains to wash them and jet wash the back and front gardens.

I like to keep fresh and frozen fruit in the house if I feel like making a smoothie with ice if it gets hot.

I bought a fan last year, but I have moved the living room around so will have to think where to put it now. It's obviously not hot enough to run at the moment, we still have the heating on partially.:p

I would normally put my winter jumpers away, but have been trying to stick to a capsule wardrobe so that doesn't need to be done. It's been so mild that I don't think I even wore my winter coat all year.

I might need to buy a couple of new tops and a loose summer maxi dress. I have all the summer footwear sorted.:)

Living_proof

I am frantically sowing seeds of veg. and later flowers, and have the garden under some sort of control although the allotment needs a mega amount of work. The greenhouse is now up and running although it needs a few finishing touches like clear silicone in the drafty bits and the slabs levelling off. I am looking for aluminium shelving for it as well. I have bought a table and four chairs which is old and heavy and guaranteed not to blow away and we plan to pressure hose the plastic furniture of old. The decking has now all been encased and looks much better so we are starting on the sweet journey of summer expectation!

DebtFree2012

We are in a new house as of this year so we have no idea what summer will be like in it but I can't wait to find out. We have seeds sown, plants from previous owners that we don't know what they area yet and a garden set that is ready to move into the sunniest spot! The kitchen is north facing and has an aga so I'm hoping it won't get too hot as we won't be switching it off unless we have to.


Someone else (sorry bad memory) said they are terrible with summer meals. I am horrendous. I can cook winter food in droves, but summer, I'm useless! So preparing for summer meals will be key for me too.


The next bank hol is May day isn't it, not far away!!