Happy Saturday everyone! Here in the South it’s finally starting to feel like Spring is here. And hopefully to stay. After so many teases of 70 degree weather that were followed by snow and ice, it’s hard to believe that it’s actually going to stay nice. The recent advent of warm weather and sunshine has reminded me anew why this is one of my favorite seasons!
Top 10 Reasons to Celebrate Springtime
10. Fresh produce! One of the most amazing things about Springtime is the abundance of fresh, seasonal produce! Saturdays will soon be family market days where we will stock up on a rainbow of fruits and vegetables, then head out to the park to play and picnic.
Greensboro Curb Market last Spring
9. Surf and Sand! Our family beach trip is now only a month away. We didn’t make it to the beach last year and so I am doubly, or triply?, excited to take our three kids this year.
8. Stinky feet. Okay, I don’t love this one. But when I was taking off my son’s sandals this afternoon, I had de-ja-vu remembering how much the boys’ feet smelled every.single.day from their sandals. It’s a trade-off I can live with and just part of the season.
7. Green! No this is not a reference to St. Patrick’s Day, but a promise that soon leaves will return to the trees and flowers will begin to bloom. It’s a beautiful season.
The woods behind our house become a green
wonderland in the Spring and summer.
6. Extra laundry. I know that this probably makes most moms groan inside, but maybe a change in perspective would be helpful. Dirty clothes (and bodies) mean more time outside, more exploring, more sandcastles, more water fights, and generally more fun and learning. Because, after all, our kids are learning and growing through all of this messy play so let’s try and embrace it and go with it. And if you really feel overwhelmed, you can always teach your kids to wash their clothes the old fashioned way outside– water, learning and fun all rolled into one!
5. Longer Days. Every parent is thankful for another compelling reason to motivate their children to finish their dinner. Now we have it. “Eat and you can play outside until bedtime.” Shazam! It’s like magic. No more dawdling.
4. “Go outside and play.” More magical words. The loooong winter months are now over and kids can go explore, run, and yell to their hearts’ content. No more searching Pinterest for another activity to keep them occupied so that there is just a little less mayhem or whining or both. Cooking gets a little easier too, since my boys can play right outside the kitchen while I work.
At one of our favorite local parks.
3. Fresh produce. This one is so wonderful it bears repeating. And since this is part food blog, I will say it again…I love Spring and summer produce! Be daring and try something new this year. You have an advantage just by buying it in season. Seasonal food just tastes better.
2. Open windows. Fresh air. Birds chirping. Cool breezes blowing. You don’t even have to decorate for Spring for your house to be full of the season.
1. Easter. The top, most important, most celebratory reason we love Springtime is Easter. And while fuzzy rabbits and chocolate eggs are cute and delicious, they can’t hold a candle to the real reason we celebrate Easter. The gospel. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (If this is new to you, you can look here for what the gospel is and why it matters more than anything else).
This week’s helpful, inspiring, or just amusing links.
Weekend Links:
- Try this delicious bread recipe that needs only 1 hour to make: Onion, Dill, Sour Cream Bread Bowls, Foodie with Family
- Do kids need crafts and activities? Finding balance and reality in a Pinterest-perfect world, Frugal Fun for Boys
- Pride and Humility at the Grocery Store, The Humbled Homemaker
- A sweet song and good reminder that a friend shared with me: True Things, JJ Heller
- A helpful and biblical take on the new Noah movie: Drowning in Distortion– Darren Aronofsky’s Noah, Albert Mohler
- Triple Threat for Raising Boys, Heidi St. John
Which of my top ten do you find especially celebratory? What would you add?
What did you read online this week that was helpful, inspiring, or amusing?
Here’s my additions to your wonderful list!
– Fresh cut flowers from my garden on my table
– My bare toes in the garden while I plant seeds and dig up weeds (and apparently rhyme while I do it 😉 )
– The wonderful urge to clean out and organize (of course, with all those windows open!)
– Strawberry picking with the fam
– Eating dinner together on the front porch
I love spring too!! Can’t wait to enjoy all the wonderfulness of it!
I wish I had fresh flowers from my (nonexistent) garden!
Love the urge to clean and organize too.
And I hope we make it to pick fruit this year. We missed out last year.
I really appreciate your perspective on laundry! Sometimes it really is just a small change in perspective that can help us tackle some of our least favorite chores, and that is definitely my least favorite! 🙂