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The real reason it is nice to have a smart phone..

I’ve never had a smart phone before – and I really wasn’t trying to get one. I kind of figured it would be a long time until I had a smart phone, and that was fine with me. But when we needed to get new Massachusetts phone numbers, we shopped around and it was actually cheaper to get a data plan for the number of lines we needed – and the smart phones were free! Sweet.

And now I get to enjoy the real reason I wanted a smart phone:

Instagram.

I went on a quick trip up to Maine this weekend, and I just loved having Instagram to take pictures along the way. My only camera is my nice DSLR, but honestly, I don’t need every photo I snap to be an 18 megapixel photo. I didn’t have a point and shoot, so I’m definitely enjoying using Instagram for that. Here are some shots from this weekend…

Are you on Instagram? If so, leave your username below so that I can follow you! (My username is: FlourishCafe)

Life in the city


Boston Skyline Photograph by Elizabeth Thomas Photo

I’m really loving living in a city again. I love the busy-ness of a city, the variety of experiences. We explored Chinatown last week and tried some delicious new kinds of food … there was a strange bulbous brown thing on top of one of the dishes that turned out to be some sort of delicious marinated egg. Plus, I finally got to try bubble tea .. in mango, my favorite fruit!

Our little girl turned 5 within a few days of arriving in Boston, and her main present from us was that I told her that sometime soon I would get a day pass for the subway, and she and I would just ride all over the city exploring and riding the train together as much as she wants. She LOVES riding the train, so she was “a hundred, a thousand, infinity!” excited about this, to use her own words. We are planning to do that today. :)


Subway art photography by The BQE

There are always adjustments to be made, though, when moving from one area to another. There’s almost a culture change in some ways .. and then in other ways, it is more just logistics. For instance, realizing just how handy a messenger bag would be on the subway! Especially when we’re only our way to Bible study, and have Bibles and notebooks to carry and such. A briefcase … ehhh, not so much. So, we ordered a messenger bag.

Also, it is getting cooler here a LOT earlier than I expected. Which in one sense, I am looooving, because it already feels like fall, my favorite season. On the other hand, my warmer clothes are packed away and less accessible. While I was packing just a few weeks ago at the end of August in Kentucky, it felt like time for maxi dresses and white skirts and flip flops still had a long life to live – now, though, I’m craving jackets, light scarves and tights. I am so looking forward to the leaves changing – I’m sure I’ll be sharing pictures of that with you!


Large carry-all bag by HandmadeTherapy

Getting organized in a small space and with fewer belongings is also different. I can be organized when I NEED to be (for instance, in my craft biz), but organization does not come naturally to me. I’ve been reading Lori’s series over on In My Kitchen, In My Life, about “cerebral homemaking“, and it has definitely been a big help, and I hope to put more of her advice into practice, especially when we are a little more settled.

But in the end, I am just so tickled to be here. I keep squeezing Tim’s arm as we walk down the street near Boston Commons saying, “We are HERE!” We’ve been wanting to move here for so long, sometimes I forget that this isn’t just a visit – we have moved! And that our friends here, who have been SO kind and helpful during our move, are now our neighbors.

I feel so blessed.

Now I just need to find some shoes that aren’t flip-flops or high heels … that’s mostly what I have, and that’s not exactly great riding-the-subway-in-cold-weather material. ;)


Ballerina Shoes Photograph by magalerie

What about you? Do you like city life or country life?

BOSTON!!

Today we arrive in Boston! WooT! Fun stuff – you know, like unloading the moving truck. I can’t wait to start exploring the city! In the meantime, here are some Boston-themed finds from Etsy – links below so you can check them out more fully. I think it is amazing to see where different artisans draw their inspiration from, whether it is a geographical location, or something more abstract, the possibilities are endless. And these all sing “Boston” to me. Don’t you wish you were here? ;)

1. Embroidered Necklace by MerriweatherCouncil 2. Boston Mapcut by StudioKMO
3. Vintage Dunkin’ Donuts Thermos by Tribute212 4. Boston Sky Line by ElizabethThomasPhoto
5. Vintage Boston Map by bananastrudel 6. Lobster Print Linen Napkins by madderroot
7. Jigsaw Puzzle Brooch by ME2Designs 8. Boston Skyline by FrescaPhoto

Have you ever been to Boston? Leave your thoughts and comments below, I love to hear from you!

Date your husband! 4 ideas for fun low-cost dates

Hi all! Today I’m excited to share a guest post from my good friend, Debbie Sutherland. My husband and I have known her and her family for quite some time, and always enjoy getting to see their lovely family when we visit New England. Debbie runs a blog on fun and frugal living, and today’s post that she is sharing with us is all about frugal nature-themed date ideas. Love it. I’m married to my guy, but I still want to date him! Thanks for the ideas, Debbie!
-April

Going out on a date with a loved one does not have to cost a lot of money. As a matter of fact, some of the best memories I have of my husband and I are outings that cost us very little to no money at all. Going on a FUN DATE should be just that, FUN and exciting not full of worries as to how to pay for it. – OR the regrets of money spent once the outing is over.

Get creative and use nature as your spring board when you plan your outings. Nature has so much to offer with its awesomeness and beauty of each season.

Here is the first part, of many, on how my husband and I spend our summer days, all while staying on a budget- and “HAVING FUN”!

Watching The Sun Set

As simple as this may seem, it is my favorite thing to do with my husband. There is something about choosing that special spot to watch the sun set with the one you love, that simply never grows old. My husband and I love to go down to the ocean and pick a nice quiet spot to have a picnic dinner to watch the sun set. It is just so peaceful with no distractions. It is a time that we can connect and enjoy each other without the business of life.

Nature Walks

Another really simple but wonderful way to spend time with someone you love to be with is to go on a Nature Walk. This is such a peaceful time. Bring the binoculars to spot that unique bird or the deer in the woods. Take time to take in the beautiful nature that is all around you. Enjoy taking pictures of flowers and unique bridges and more. I took the picture above, last year, while walking with my husband. I just love the way the bridge was reflecting on the water to make a complete “Eye Into Nature”. The walks can be brief or take several hours, either way, it is just so peaceful and relaxing.

Kayaking

Kayaking is another wonderful time spent with a loved one. Once you own a kayak, we bought ours from Craigslist, it costs nothing. Kayaking puts you up close and personal with nature. My husband and I own a tandem kayak allowing us to visit the whole time. We bring snacks and drinks in the kayak, and go on some great outings. We like to choose the end of the day or first thing in the morning when the animals are very active.

Here is a photo I shot while kayaking of a swan. Look how beautiful his reflection is. This is one of many photos I have of beautiful creatures we see along our kayaking adventures. We see turtles, deer, birds, frogs, rabbits, and more almost every time we go. I have albums filled with beautiful shots like the one above. Just another fun way to spend time with your loved one without the distractions all around you. Time to “just be”.

Finding New Bike Paths

Another one of our favorite things to do is to find a new bike path. Each path has new beauty to it, one more beautiful than the next. We love finding new bike paths and taking on the challenge of riding them. Biking is a wonderful way to enjoy exercise and time together while enjoying the breath taking beauty. Here is a picture I shot of the Bristol Bike Path (Bristol, RI) that we love to ride. At the end of this path is a State Park that runs along the Atlantic Ocean. We often find ourselves at this bike path on a nice warm summer evening ending it with a picnic dinner watching the waves and the sun set.

-Debbie Sutherland

All great ideas! Be sure to check out Debbie’s blog, Frugal Living and Having Fun, for other budget friendly posts, coupons and ideas. :)
-April

Travel tip: Go to the library!

Our trip to Boston was won-der-fulllllllll. I am so looking forward to living there soon, Lord willing! While we were gone we took lots of pictures, naturally, and we also made some travel vlogs while we were driving. I was hoping to post one of those today, but due to technical difficulties with the video, I’m going to have to postpone that one.

So instead today, I want to share with you one simple travel tip: go to the library!

First off, it can be a good idea to visit the library before you leave and check out some books on cd to enjoy on the road trip – I know I’ve definitely enjoyed listening to narrated stories while driving.

But, actually, when I say “go to the library”, I’m not talking about preparations for the trip, I’m talking about while you are gone. If you’re going to a decent sized city on your trip, chances are the library where you are going has some interesting sights and free activities. And when you’re on a trip, fun things to do that don’t cost any money are nice things to find!

I love books, of course, (in case you couldn’t tell) but many libraries have more to offer than books alone. You might be surprised at what you find at a library, especially in a large city.

So one day in Boston, after a stop at, naturally, Dunkin Donuts, my 4 year old and I set out to find the library. I’m so glad we did! Here are some of the things we discovered about the library…

‣‣‣ First of all, before we went inside, it was in a beautiful downtown location, and loaded with statues. I don’t know about your kids, but my little one loves statues. She wanted her picture with this one:

and if there’s a spot that looks like it SHOULD have a statue and it doesn’t, well then of course, you just have to fill in where you can:

‣‣‣ Once you’re inside the library there is a charming little restaurant called The Maproom Cafe, where you could have sandwiches, coffee, pastries – or even a formal high tea! And if you didn’t want to eat in the Maproom Cafe you could take your food out to…

‣‣‣ The Courtyard. In the middle of the library is a huge outdoor courtyard with a fountain and terracced walk ways lined with tables where you can read and enjoy your food. Um, yeah! But before you get to the courtyard you first walk through …

‣‣‣ Amazing architecture! In fact, I noticed there were actually guided tours you could go on to learn the history about all the beautiful architecture. We weren’t there at the right time for that, but we enjoyed wandering from room to room anyway…

‣‣‣ One room we discovered was the map room. I loooove maps. There were all kinds of historical maps on display, plus there were all these little tiny window-seat areas, and in each one was a different map-related activity for kids! My little one really enjoyed the map puzzle nook.

‣‣‣ We also found there was an art gallery exhibition going on at that time in the library, so we stopped in and enjoyed the art:

By the time we had done all of that, we hadn’t even gotten to the part of the library where there were books to check out! But it was time to leave and go meet some friends, so we headed on out, and I can explore that part of the library next time we’re in Boston.

But I’m sure you can see now why I like to visit libraries when I’m travelling – you never know what you’ll find, but chances are, you’ll find something interesting. In fact, I’ve seen libraries featured on the Travel Channel before when they talk about places to visit in certain cities. So check it out! I know I definitely would like to have tea at the library in Boston someday. *hint, hint, Husband* ;)

Do you visit libraries when you are travelling?
Or do you have other low-cost high-value tricks up your sleeve?
Leave your thoughts, comments and travel tips below, I love to hear from you!

Road Trip: Boston, here we come!

Greetings from the land of Dunkin Donuts, crazy traffic, lobsters and rocky beaches – we’re in New England!

I simply love road trips. And this one is especially exciting for a couple reasons – first of all, we are getting to see both my family in Pennsylvania, and my husband’s family in Rhode Island, as well as many other friends along the way! But the other exciting thing is that this trip is hopefully the prelude to a more permanent type of road trip: moving!

We are hoping and praying to be able to move to Boston soon. This week we are here for my husband to work on his job hunting – he is looking for a new chemical engineering job in the Boston area. I am sooooo excited!!

I love going to a new area, and I am especially enthusiastic about Boston. While I was growing up, we moved around a lot, living in the north, the south, even Europe for a couple of years. Since Tim and I have been married, we’ve only lived in the south – first in Tennessee and currently in Kentucky. And both were lovely, but we’re also ready to be moving back up north.

The trip itself has been a lot of fun – being in the car together for hours gives lots of opportunities for talking as a family, singing loudly, playing car games and just enjoying being together. I always loved road trips when I was a kid, and it is fun now to enjoy it with my own family.

We’ve even been making some road trip videos on this trip, some of which might become vlogs here. Beware that there might be some general goofiness. :)

Here is something that we might do a road trip vlog about – and I’d love to incorporate some of your thoughts or comments you might have into our video:

What are your favorite road trip activities and games?

Let us know and you might get a shout out in an upcoming vlog! :)
Leave your thoughts and comments below, I love to hear from you!

Adventure Challenge: Week 8! Go Geocaching

Have you ever gone geocaching? It is the perfect activity for week 8 of our adventure-a-week challenge! Once you have a GPS, it is something you can do for free, and is a great way to explore a new area – or even to see a familiar area is a whole new light. As it is described on their website, Geocaching.com, it is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices and then share their experiences online.

The fun is in the hunt – to find these hidden caches, more than what is inside them. They can range in size from micro caches in tiny capsules only a couple inches wide with barely enough room for just a sign-in sheet, to regular sized caches often in an ammo-box or other waterproof container which often have little trinkets of small value which you can trade out in addition to the sign-in sheet, to “virtual” caches which are not a typical cache with a log-in sheet, but just takes you to an area where there is an interesting sight to see and find. My personal favorite are micro caches- I think they are the most challenging to find! Often, in addition to the coordinates given for the GPS there are clever clues to help you narrow down your search to a more selected area.

To start, you sign up and download the waypoints from Geocaching.com, and input them into your GPS to get you to the area where the cache is hidden. Once there, you start hunting. But with a somewhat clandestine air- you have to be aware of “muggles”! The definition of muggles on the geocaching.com website makes me laugh: “Muggle: A non-geocacher. Based on “Muggle” from the Harry Potter series, which is a non-magical person. Usually this term is used after a non geocacher looks puzzled after befriending a geocacher searching for a cache, or when a non-geocacher accidentally finds a cache. Geomuggles are mostly harmless.” If you call too much attention to a cache, non-geocachers who saw you might move it or take it after you leave, not realizing what it is. So be sneaky! ;)

After you have found the caches and logged into the sheets and had your fun exploring, when you get back home you log your finds on the geocaching website. Geocaching is something we enjoy doing occasionaly – but it had been a pretty long time since we had gone geocaching, so this week it was fun to get out and try it again! Here was our adventure, there were very few “muggles” around where we were geocaching, so I was able to take pictures without too much trouble:

I don’t usually bother trading items in the larger caches – anytime I’ve seen someone give Geocaching a try thinking that the trading is the main thing, they’re usually disappointed …the fun is really in the finding! A lot of times the clues/names and such are very clever, too. But I did decide to leave one of my mini-art prints in one of the caches, as you see above. :) We had a great time, and one of the fun things about geocaching is it takes you to new places and helps you find interesting areas. We certainly made some new discoveries!

If you haven’t gone geocaching, you should give it a try! Here are a few more geocaching terms that might be helpful to know:

BYOP: Bring your own pen. This means the cache is too small to hold a pen along with the sign-in sheet, so you must bring your own to be able to log your visit.

Multi cache: This is where a single cache hunt is made up of a series of individual caches, in a series. It is usually on some theme, and you may need to find the caches in a certain order to get all the information needed to find the later caches.

Travel Bug: You might find a travel bug in a cache. This is a token of some sort with a tracking number, and hitchhikes from person to person and cache to cache, with its progress tracked online.

CITO/Cache in, trash out: This is a common practice that as you geocache and log into caches you find, that if you find litter in the area you are hunting, you take the time to collect it and throw it away. So do some good while you are out having fun!

Have you ever gone geocaching? Does it interest you?
Leave you thoughts and comments below!

Adventure Challenge: Week 7! DIY Art Rubbings

This week, for our Adventure-a-Week challenge, our adventure doubles as a craft project as well. I was in a used book store one time and saw a book on “rubbings” and it captured my attention, and we gave it a try for this week’s adventure. So grab your art supplies and head outside!

For this week’s activity you will need…

– Paper. And plenty of it. I found that I like using very thin paper, personally. I bought a cheap sketchpad and I really liked the texture and thinness of the paper for this project.

– Rubbing Materials. There are all sorts of rubbing materials you could use! Take a bunch with you and try them out to see what you prefer. Graphite, colored pencils, pastels, chalks, wax, you name it! Although I didn’t expect it, I ended up preferring crayons for larger pieces. Colored pencils were nice for more detailed/smaller items.

– A Kneeling Pad. If you’re going to be crouching on sidewalks and streets making your rubbings, it’s a little more comfortable if you have something under your knees.

– A Folder. Or something to put your finished rubbings in to prevent them from getting bent up and wrinkled.

– Masking Tape. You need for your paper to lay very still while making a rubbing, and I found masking tape to work very well. It’s especially helpful for working on vertical surfaces, of course, but even on a flat horizontal surface, it is a good idea. Be aware, though, that depending on the kind of paper you are using, the area with the masking tape may need to be trimmed away. This is usually fine because of the nature of rubbings, often the edges are not the most attractive part, anyway, and can be cut away.

– A Tote. Or something similar to carry all these supplies!

You could do a variety of themes out of rubbings – such as, a nature theme where you make rubbings of leaves and feathers and other natural objects. But I wanted to do a more urban/industrial theme. Of course, this works best if you live in a fairly urban area … which I do not. However, even so we were able to find some interesting subjects for rubbings. Try man hole covers, engraved signs, and plaques for more definite rubbings, or try brick walls, metal plates and concrete for more textural subjects. Be aware, though, that you need to know what you are allowed to make rubbings of – it is illegal some places to make rubbings of gravestones, and, of course, you shouldn’t wander onto private property to make rubbings. Still, it is an interesting way to wander around a town, looking for interesting spots to make into rubbings – you notice all sorts of things you wouldn’t have seen before.

You can even make a collection of small rubbings all from different aspects of one particular subject. It might be fun to make rubbings this way, put them together and see how quickly people can figure out what it was. I’m sure you can easily tell what this was!

A few tips on making rubbings…

Don’t use a sharp point of whatever art medium you are using, but rather use a blunt point or use it on an extreme angle.

Start out marking lightly – if you press too hard, you’ll just be drawing on top of the surface, not really picking up the texture. But if you start lightly and gradually get to darker/harder strokes, you’ll get a better feel for what works well.

While making the rubbing, try to keep your hand moving in the same plane. In other words, if you’re rubbing right to left, don’t suddenly switch to up and down, or you’ll probably end up with some unattractive competing lines.

This is probably an activity better for adults or older children … small children can have fun just drawing on their pages, but probably will have trouble gently pulling the textures into relief on the page.

Go exploring and think outside the box on what you can make into rubbings!

I hope you enjoy it!
Have you ever made rubbings at home, for instance of pennies and household items?
What about heading out and about to look for more unusual items to turn into rubbings?
Leave your thoughts and comments below!

Adventure Challenge: Week 6! Photography Hunt

Time for week six of the adventure-a-week challenge! This time was a little different because there wasn’t just one set aside time for the adventure, but instead it was spread out over several days. The goal? Find and photograph all the colors of the rainbow in springtime plants for this Spring photography challenge!

Right now is a perfect time around here for this – all the flowers are blooming and the weather is just lovely. I actually had been planning on something different for this week, but when I saw all the colors popping up and blooming, I knew we had to try to find them all. And it was more challenging than I expected! Blue and orange can be a little trickier to find. Part of the time we just kept our eyes open everywhere we went for the colors – and part of the time we went for walks and drives specifically looking for them. And always with a camera on hand! It was a fun hunt! And makes for a great photography subject, of course. Here is our spectrum, and then below it are a a few ideas and photography tips:

If you want to add another dimension to the project here are a few ideas, whether you want to do it on your own, or with kids…

— To make this more challenging, you can set limits on where you can find the colors. For instance, you could try to find all of them within a set area, like along one road, or in an urban setting where they might be harder to find. Or, you could set limits in a different way – for instance, you could set botanical gardens off limits, or try to only find flowers that are growing in the wild. Any limits like this can make the project more challenging!

— If you have small children who don’t know their colors yet, this can be a fun way to teach colors! Or, if you’re like me, and your kids are old enough to know their colors, they can have a lot of fun helping you hunt for them.

— Or, this can be a fun project to just take off on your own and get to know your camera better! Some of my shots I was more pleased with then others, so I am still learning, but here are a few photography tips that might help:

— Natural light is the best lighting for photography – but direct sunlight is not. Bright and direct sunlight causes harsh shadows and reflective whites. An overcast day can be perfect for getting great shots – or if you’re shooting something small like a flower, try standing so that your shadow falls over the plant. That way there is plenty of natural light, but not direct sunlight on your subject.

— If you have a point and shoot, try using your macro setting – it is usually shown with a flower icon. I use a DSLR camera, but I don’t have a macro lens yet, so my pictures are shot from farther away, and then cropped down to just the flower. Not optimal. It would be better to shoot closer to the subject.

— Whether you shoot an up close shot or you crop it afterwards (or both) try to have most of the final version taken up by the color you’re photographing. That way when you put all the photos together, it will make a more clear “rainbow” of colors.

I hope this inspires you to go outside and enjoy the beauty of spring! To see all the rest of the posts in this adventure a week challenge, you can click here.

And I’ve got an exciting announcement since this adventure challenge is almost over, about what the next challenge will be! I’ll be sharing that on Monday, so be sure to come back for that. :) If you’d like to stay in touch for future posts, be sure to subscribe to my blog!

Post you thoughts in the comments below, I love to hear from you! :)

Adventure Challenge: Daddy + Daughter Time


Wow, I can’t believe we’re already more than half way done with the adventure challenge! There are only a few weeks left – it’s really been flying by quickly! But we’ve definitely been loving it. Soon it will be time to start dreaming up a new challenge … but that’s another post. Stay tuned! :)

Anyway, not to get ahead of myself, I still have four adventure posts, including this one! Actually, though, I had this week off for the adventure. Because this week was a Daddy-Daughter adventure! Little one absolutely loves her special times with Daddy, and was super excited about this one. The time that kids spend with their fathers is so important, and so Tim and I wanted to share several ideas for Daddy-Daughter adventures – the last two being what Tim and little one did for this week’s adventure.

All of these are fitting for the adventure guidelines from the first post of this series – including the one about costing less than $15. Many of these don’t have to be exclusive for daughters, they could also be for sons as well. Since we have only a girl right now, we think in terms of Daddy-Daughter time, but by no means wish to exclude the little boys! Little boys learn from their fathers what kind of man they should grow up to be, and little girls learn from their father what kind of man they should marry. Both very important. :)

Here is a list of 10 ideas that Tim and I came up with for Daddy + daughter adventures, I hope it gets spurs your mind to think of your own ideas, too!

10 – Share some special memories from your own childhood! If you live in the same area you grew up in, take a drive (windows down, music loud – that was a prerequisite of special drives with my dad!) and drive by your childhood home, where you went to school, where you learned to drive, etc. If you don’t live in the same area, visit the library and check out your favorite books from when you were a kid, go to the grocery store and buy that treat you loved when you were little, go to the park and play your favorite childhood games. Tell her about what it was like growing up, things you liked, things you learned, things you dreamed, and watch her enjoy them as well.

9 – Go to an event from the community calendar! Check to see where your community’s calendar of events might be. It could be on your town’s website, maybe at the library, maybe in the newspaper, etc. These calendars have lots of info about upcoming concerts, local farmers markets, events at pick-your-own farms, jam-nights at the bluegrass parlor, museum events, local productions of plays etc. etc. Generally this can be a gold-mine for interesting activities to do together, and highlight interesting things in your own community.

8 – Teach her some of your car skills! There are lots of practical things girls should learn from their daddies on how to handle themselves in emergencies, like how to change a tire, jumping the car battery, and driving in the snow. Yes, it’s work – and yes, it’s fun! I remember loving it when Dad would show me stuff about how to fix something on the car, not because I was particularly interested in cars, but because it was fun to spend time together and it made me feel much more confident to have that knowledge and the fact that he wanted to share it with me.

7 – Go on a date! Put on a tie, let her wear her favorite dress, and take her out. Show her how a gentleman behaves – open the doors for her, the whole shebang. Teach her to expect to be treated with respect by men, and in turn to be encouraged to behave like a lady. You don’t have to go somewhere formal or spend a lot of money, you could go to the ice cream parlor, but it will feel special to her to spend time with you on a Daddy-daughter date.

6 – Find somewhere to volunteer together! Many wonderful bonding moments come not from just doing something for entertainment, but from working together. And working together for a good cause will teach her the satisfaction of spending time in a valuable way. Seek out a volunteer opportunity in your area, and make a Daddy-daughter adventure out of it!

5 – Take your daughter to work! Whether on an actual take-your-child-to-work day, or not, taking your kid to work can give them a great look into what you do. Let them see the good that you do, how you work hard – so they understand it’s not just that you disappear for hours and come home with a paycheck. She may or may not be interested in pursuing your field as an adult, but it will still be good for her to see you at work. Or, if your work environment isn’t suitable to bring a child along while you’re working, have her come on your lunch break to eat together and give a little tour.

4 – Share your hobby! If Daddy likes to play the guitar, do gardening, or work on cars, or make carvings, or shoot targets, or has some other hobby, why not spend some time sharing that? It’s good for daughters to see their Daddies’ talents – plus it’s fun as the daughter to learn something new! My dad got me involved in his antique business, which was a lot of fun to do together, going to auctions to hunt down new finds, learning from him on how to figure out the date of an item, setting up what we found in the antique booth, etc. But it doesn’t even have to be such a long-term project. Spend an afternoon sharing something you enjoy with your daughter! This is my dad showing me how to shoot a rifle:

3 – Take a hike! Learning how to climb trees, how to figure out which way is north, recognizing and avoiding poison ivy … little girls need to learn these things too! State or national parks often have beautiful hiking trails, so head for the woods, enjoy being in nature, and have some Daddy-daughter time teaching her about the outdoors. Daddies are good at the whole rugged-manliness thing, and it is good for daughters to see that. :)

2 – Go out for breakfast! This is one I remember doing with my dad, and I always loved it. It’s an exciting way to start off the day, and since (at least in our family), breakfast is not usually a meal we would eat-out, that also gives it an added layer of “special”. Plus, breakfast is generally a pretty cheap meal, and it’s easy to have some one-on-one time over biscuits and gravy (that’s what I always got on daddy-daughter breakfasts!) without breaking your budget. It was always a lot of fun for me to go out for breakfast with my Dad. And when Tim called me on his adventure with little one to say they were going out for breakfast, it made me happy to hear. :)

1 – Build something together! Tim and little one’s adventure was centered around this one. If you live near a Lowe’s you should definitely check out their free “Build and Grow” kid’s workshops. Every other Saturday you can take in your kids to build a wooden project. And it’s free! I mean, really, spending one-on-one time together, building something fun that you can take home, and not spending money? That’s hard to beat! You can check out the Build and Grow schedule here. Or, if there’s not a Lowe’s near you, just build something together in your backyard! Supplies for a simple project don’t have to cost very much. Tim was talking recently about building a marble machine out of PVC pipes. Working on a Daddy-daughter project is not only fun, but there are plenty of things for the little ones to learn in the process.

Tim and little one had a great time. :)
I hope this can inspire you to think of ideas of your own!
Share your ideas and thoughts in the comments below, I love to hear from you!