Making the most of Summer...
Summer is so much more fun now that I have a toddler, he loves nothing more than running wild in a good park and of course he's always down for the snacks. A picnic is the perfect afternoon out to let him burn some energy whilst I get a bit of chill time in the sun (when I'm not chasing after him that is) and an excuse to eat alllll the cakes. We recently got a new picnic basket that I'm absolutely in love with and it's the best excuse to go on picnics more often. Not only that but the whole reason that I learnt to drive was so that we weren't stuck in the house all the time and this summer I made a to-do list of all the adventures I wanted to go on to make the most of it. Being round at my parents house 24/7 didn't make it on the list but that's sort of just happened...
Picnics
Picnics are a really good way to get fresh air and enjoy some family time, you don't even have to leave the house, a few of ours have been in my parents garden! We've had different kinds of picnics too, some I've gone all out and gone to the supermarket to scout the salad bar and drinks aisle, but when you don't want to spend too much you can just raid your own fridge. All you really need is a few sandwiches, snacks and drinks. There's so many beautiful little spots in the countryside if you fancy a little drive too, great for letting toddlers run wild and burning some energy.
Summer Strolls
I love going for long summer strolls, not only does Ru love them too but if you go to places like the forest they are so cool and relaxing, getting you out of the direct sunlight. I feel like for someone who hates doing workouts they're a fab way to get more exercise too - that's my excuse anyway! One of my favourite things about Instagram is that I'm always discovering new cute little villages to visit, which I love going for walks round as well as snapping photos. It's been on my list to try and discover more of these over the summer so that's my goal at the moment!
Backyard Fun
Having a toddler to entertain can be such hard work, especially in the heat. Ru loves playing with water so getting him a pool for the garden has been a god send. It keeps him cool but also occupied for hours, happily playing by filling buckets and bowls with water. He loves getting dirty too digging up grandma's garden with a shovel... Next on my list is to buy him a sandpit as I know he'll love one of those too. I also want to get him an electric car but how many toys does one child need?!
Weekend Getaway
One of the things on my bucket list this summer was to have a little weekend away. I've never been to the lake district and it looks so beautiful so I desperately wanted to go. I don't think this will happen now as literally everywhere is fully booked up - I left it too late! I'm definitely going to make sure I plan it earlier next year and get somewhere booked as it's lovely to get away in summer and just plonk yourself in the middle of nowhere for a few days enjoying the sun. I feel like you don't need to go abroad every year when we get the kind of weather we've had this year! I saw a few beautiful little air b&b's with pools and all sorts, so I'm 100% going to book myself a stay in one at some point.
What do you like to get up to during the Summer months?
Disclaimer: The gorgeous picnic basket has kindly been sent to me from Amara for review, how stunning is it?! It's amazing, it comes with a cool bag, bottle opener as well as all the cutlery, plates and plastic glasses you could need for a family picnic. It's actually not on the website anymore, so I've listed some other beautiful baskets they have available below.
