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5 Tips for Capturing Backyard Fun

Summer is backyard gathering season. Are you ready to capture those memories?

Whether you are hosting or enjoying someone else’s backyard, you will want to remember this time. Photos help us to remember, not only events, but the emotions that go along with the gathering. I am not a photographer (but we will be talking with one soon, look for that interview early next month), but here are 5 tips I have learned.

Tip #1

The best camera to use is the one in your hand. So many of us keep our smart phone with us at all times, so use it to document the moment.

I don’t recommend this lightly. I am a firm believer that when we are gathering together, phones should be put away so everyone can stay present in the moment. Being present while gathering is all about making connections and forging bonds in relationships. That can’t happen when even one person at a family gathering has their nose in their phone.

That said, even simple gatherings or a day of fun in the yard is worth documenting.

Tip 2

Mix up candid and posed photos. If every photo is posed then they don’t tell the whole story of the event. You want your photo gallery to be rich in diversity. Take some posed, but get creative and take some less expected photos.

Candid photos take some practice. Getting someone in the air as they jump into the pool can be difficult, but so worth it. Keep clicking and you will get some good ones. That’s the genius of digital, it’s easy to delete the bad photos.

Tip 3

The photographer doesn’t need to be an adult. It can be fun to see what the kids focus on when they get to take photos. Let everyone have a turn at taking a few photos. This, again, will increase the diversity of your photo gallery.

Tip 4

You don’t need a big event to grab the camera. It can just be a day with you and the kids in the backyard playing, maybe swimming in the pool.

I know I love the photos I have of my own children when it was just the 3 of us playing in the pool. They were such hams, jumping in the pool over and over. It gave me plenty of time to practice my skill of capturing them in mid-air. Those photos are just as precious to me as the professional shots of the 4 of us posing for the camera.

Tip 5

Those photos you just took are great, but will be better categorized and put in an album. It can be either a physical album or digital. But doing it as soon as possible after your take the photos is best.

You will want to note the people in the photos, in case there is some extended family or friends. Doing it 20 years later makes it tough to remember every name with every face.

You can share albums and use them to look back on past traditions. I love looking at photos of my grandparents, long gone, but so happy at family gatherings.

I hope these tips help you enjoy your backyard fun, over and over again.

Quick Weekend Getaway

A couple weeks ago, my husband and I went on a little weekend getaway for our anniversary. We chose Ojai, California. It is such a sweet little town just a little north of Los Angeles. From our home in Phoenix it’s a simple 45 minute flight and a quick drive in a rental car.

We stayed at the Ojai Valley Inn. It was a magical weekend, to say the least! The property is incredible. The food was so yummy. The rooms are very comfortable. The people ~ it’s always the people that make an experience worth remembering ~ the people of the Ojai Valley Inn (and really the people of Ojai) are just so kind. They answered every question, no matter how simple or silly, with a smile. Each person we encountered just elevated our trip.

We ate. We walked. We relaxed. We shopped. We enjoyed every minute.

We relaxed by the pool. They have several on the property along with a golf course and gorgeous mountain views.

We went wine tasting in town. There are a couple different tasting rooms, but this one was so quaint in an old fire house that I had to take a photo.

We walked all over the resort and peeked into an event space that is referred to as the Farmhouse. The garden beds on one side are enviable.

But the best part of the trip was sitting under the trees at sunset. The guest seemed to be drawn to this area of the resort every evening. There is a slight pink glow that just can’t be captured with an iPhone!

If you ever get a chance I would highly recommend the Ojai Valley Inn for a romantic getaway. I always encourage friends and family to “take the trip” because experience makes you both knowledgeable and grateful. And, in this case, it brought me so much peace. A great place to relax will do that.

So, do you have any trips planned for this summer? I would suggest making plans for weekend getaways ~ they allow for memories to be made all summer long, easier to pack for than a 2 week vacation, and give you the opportunity to see more than just one place.

Now, give me some suggestions on where I should go next…go to this photo on my Instagram and leave me a note on where I should go next.

Hummingbirds and Butterflies

Now that the temperatures are starting to warm up and flowers are blooming, the hummingbirds and butterflies are buzzing around my backyard. I love to watch them, they just amaze me.

Have you ever thought about what you can add to your backyard to attract more hummingbirds and butterflies to your outdoor space? Here are a few ideas to get you started~

Hummingbirds

Zdenek Machacek Photo, courtesy of Unsplash

For centuries, gardeners have been fascinated with the beauty and aerobatics of hummingbirds. The key to attracting hummingbirds to your yard is to plant lots of flowers and provide the habitat that will give them shade, shelter, food, water, and security.

  • Herbs, flowering shrubs, dwarf trees, and vines can all be used to create an ideal tiered habitat from ground level to 10 feet or more.
  • Provide lots of space between plants to give hummingbirds enough room to hover and navigate from flower to flower.
  • Hummingbirds love water, especially if it’s moving. A gentle, continuous spray from a nozzle or a sprinkler hose is perfect for a bath on the fly.
  • Hummingbirds do not have a keen sense of smell and rely on bright colors to find their food.
  • They are particularly fond of red and are often observed investigating feeders with red parts, red plant labels, red thermometers, and even red clothes on a gardener. Note: Do not use red dye in a hummingbird feeder; there is concern that it may harm the birds. Instead, use plain, clear sugar water (1 part white sugar mixed with 4 parts water). The birds love it! If your feeder does not have red on it, attach a red label or other item to attract them.
  • Brightly-colored flowers that are tubular hold the most nectar, and are particularly attractive to hummingbirds. These include perennials such as bee balms, columbines, daylilies, and lupines; biennials such as foxgloves and hollyhocks; and many annuals, including cleomes, impatiens, and petunias.

*This information is copied from the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Butterflies

Christopher Paul High Photo, courtesy of Unsplash

To attract butterfly’s to your backyard you need to know what they need. The list includes sunny open spaces, shelter from the wind, and fresh water. They also need plants where they can lay their eggs.

You will need to include food sources in the form of host plants for caterpillars and nectar plants for butterflies. Stick to native plants, as those will encourage the native species of caterpillars and butterflies. Consult your local garden center or Cooperative Extension service for more information on native plants.

Flowers that offer fragrance and nectar are great options for attracting butterflies. These fabulous pollinators are just as interested in a colorful array of flowers as mother’s on Mother’s Day. So go bold, enjoy some color in your backyard and watch the flying friends flock to your outdoor space.

Let’s Talk Compost

I grew up in my Italian grandmother’s tiny kitchen. Out of that small space she would regularly create incredible meals for 40+ guests. It all seemed so natural. You really don’t need a lot of space, if you use it well.

One of the lessons I learned from my grandmother in that tiny space was to use a little bit of it for a compost bin. The laundry room was right next to the kitchen so grandma would keep a bin on the dryer and put the food scraps in it. Once it was full, she would transfer it outside.

What to Compost

Items you can compost from your kitchen include ~

  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Eggshells
  • Coffee grounds and filters
  • Tea bags
  • Nut shells

Other common household items you can compost include ~

  • Shredded newspaper
  • Cardboard
  • Paper
  • Yard trimmings
  • Grass clippings
  • Houseplants
  • Leaves
  • Fireplace ashes
Compost Pile

Why to Compost

There are three main reasons to compost~

  • To create fertile soil
    • Composting enriches the soil and helps retain moisture which will suppress plant diseases and pests.
    • It also reduces the need for chemical fertilizers.
  • To close the loop (and give back to the earth that which was taken from it)
    • Composting encourages the production of beneficial bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter to create humus, a rich nutrient-filled material.
  • To work less
    • Composting is natural. When trees drop their leaves in the fall it is to isolate the roots. When we compost, we are following in Mother Natures example.

How to Compost in your Backyard

  • Select a dry, shady spot near a water source for your compost pile or bin. When your kitchen bin is full, transfer the contents to the outside bin.
  • Your compost pile should have an equal amount of greens to browns. Greens includes materials such as grass clippings, vegetable waste, fruit scraps, and coffee grounds. Browns are materials such as dead leaves and twigs or small branches.
  • Keep everything moist, it will break down faster than if it stays dry.
  • Turn the contents of your bin or pile over regularly.
  • Once your compost pile is established, mix grass clippings and green waste into the pile and bury fruit and vegetable waste under 10 inches of compost material.
  • When the material at the bottom is dark and rich in color, your compost is ready to use. This usually takes anywhere between two months to two years.

In the Phoenix Metro area, the city will provide you with a compost bin for a nominal fee. You can read more about it here. Don’t live in Phoenix? Search your cities website for composting resources.

If you have a garden, do you compost? You should. Your garden will thank you ~ literally thank you with a much better crop!

Gardening Costs: Know before you Grow

Last week, I wrote about using your garden to eat healthy on a budget. Missed it? You can read all about it here. Today, I want to talk about the real costs associated with a garden. Costs to consider when starting a garden include:

  • Cost of plants or seeds
  • Cost to provide nutrient-rich soil (dirt, fertilizer, and worms)
  • Cost to protect and structure plants (cages, coverings, and fences)
  • Cost to water plants
  • Cost of tools and accessories (tiller, gloves, and spade)

Community Gardening Costs

If you start your gardening journey in a community garden, some of these costs will be mitigated. I did a quick on line search of community gardens in the Phoenix Metro Area. Plot prices can go from $80-120 annually. This includes the nutrient dense soil and watering costs. Some community gardens offer tool use and even tool storage, along with a master gardener to answer questions or host garden talks. This is not only a simple way to explore the adventure of gardening and see if it is for you, but you can learn from others and make friends while doing so.

The costs of plants or seeds, protection or structures and tools are all that is left. You can be price conscious when shopping for these items. Plants and seeds can be found on sale or you can ask friends and neighbors to share cuttings or seeds. Last year, I wrote about using seeds gathered from produce you currently have on hand. You can read about it here.

Protection and structures, along with tools can either be found on sale, at garage sales or even found items. Is someone in your neighborhood throwing out wood posts left over from a project? That might be just right for the climbing plants you planted. When you are working with a budget, you need to be creative and think outside the box with how to use items in another way.

Community Gardening Benefits

The benefits of gardening at a community garden include all the benefits of gardening in your backyard. These benefits include fresh produce and a day well spent with your hands in the dirt. Fruits and vegetables gradually lose nutrients after harvest. A vegetable harvested from your garden and eaten the same day will have higher nutritional content than an identical vegetable that has spent several days or weeks sitting in storage, transport, and store displays. There are many studies that have documented the positive effects of gardening on physical and mental well being. And any teacher will tell you, including this one, that when kids participate in gardening they are more likely to eat their vegetables.  Community gardening adds the ‘community’ element that also positively impacts our mental health. We need people as much as we need fresh fruits and vegetables.

Final Thoughts on Gardening Costs

This article may seem like I am a big proponent of Community Gardening. I wouldn’t say that I am and I wouldn’t say that I am not. I would say that gardening can be expensive. Between creating beds and filling them with nutrient dense soil to the watering and maintenance, tools and structure costs you really need to know that you will enjoy gardening before you commit the money needed. Now the beds and soil cost will be amortized over time, tools too! Seeds can be if you harvest from current produce, but water costs will be incurred every year. Gardening is not without risk.  Bugs, a streak of unseasonable weather, or other nature-related problem, may wreak havoc on your garden. But for most gardeners, the return on investment pays off. So I do suggest community gardening as a way to ease into this wonderful adventure that will save you money in the long run.

Eating Healthy on a Budget

We all know that healthy eating includes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. But did you know you can do it AND stay on budget? Here are a couple tips to accomplish your health and budget goals.

  • Plan your meals for the week and then prep them ~ you are more likely to follow your plan when you have reduced the daily preparation time
  • Shop for seasonal produce ~ the prices are lower when an item is in season
  • Review the sales section in your local newspaper for grocery store ads and shop the produce on sale
  • Start a garden ~ you can easily grow some of your produce for your weekly meal plan

Let’s take a closer look at that last idea. Many vegetables for a simple salad are easy to grow in a small amount of land or in pots on a balcony.

Lettuce

Lettuce is not only the base for many salads, it grows quickly and can be harvested easily. You can simply snip the tops of the plants or pick leaves as needed. Lettuce takes up very little space. It can even be grown in containers, perhaps accompanied by flowers or tucked under taller plants. You can even plant the seeds in partly shady areas.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are, possibly, the most popular vegetable for any size garden. You can grow tomatoes in hanging baskets or other containers as long as they get lots of sun and have support for their stalks. Starter plants from a garden center, your local hardware store or a nursery are the easiest to grow. I even saw some on my latest trip to the grocery store. You can get both tomatoes and tomato plants at Whole Foods, who knew?

Pro tip ~ If you plant basil next to the tomato plants, you’ll naturally repel pests and even improve the flavor of the tomatoes—and, luckily enough, like other herbs, basil is simple to grow as well. On top of that, herbs will increase the flavor in your salad. And when your salad is full of flavor you will enjoy it even more. You will then want to eat more salads, so this is a bonus no matter how you chop it!

Kelly Neil Photo

Cucumbers

I love the crunch of cucumbers in a salad. Cucumbers like sunlight and warm temperatures, as well as support for climbing. Thanks to their vertical growth, cucumbers do well in containers and with a little water they grow almost like weeds. You’ll probably have enough cucumbers to donate to your neighbors.

Dim Hou Photo

Radishes

Radishes are a nice addition to a salad. But you can also enjoy them as appetizers, snacks and side dishes. Even though not everyone loves them, once you see how easy they are to grow, you might add them to your garden. They take just 20 days to reach full size! 

Other Easily Grown Vegetables

Carrots are pretty easy to grow. The only thing about carrots is they might not grow very large, especially if you have rocky soil. Deep, well-drained soil is preferable—a raised bed is a good idea. Nevertheless, carrots are simple and fun to grow (your kids might even want to help). They tolerate light shade too, although, like most plants, they prefer full sun.

Mor Shani Photo

All sorts of green beans, from snap beans (or string beans) to shell or whole beans are ideal for home gardens. There are hundreds of varieties to choose from, and snapping beans to harvest them is kind of entertaining. I’ve had better luck with the vine type compared to the self-support bush types of snap peas, but the bush types require less space. Both types grow easily from seeds. Most beans prefer full sun and well-drained soil.

Like beans and cucumbers, zucchini plants are prolific, whether they are grown in containers or directly in mounded soil. Like beans and radishes, they grow easily from seeds. They need good moisture, though, and prefer warm soil, so it’s best to sow seeds later in the warm season (a good plant for gardening procrastinators!).

Jocelyn Fletcher Photo

Pumpkins are relatively easy to grow and are great to have around during the autumn season. As you probably know from baking and carving, there are different types of pumpkins and some are simpler to grow than others.

Now you have some easy to grow vegetables to assist with your healthy eating on a budget journey. And, remember if you have children they can help in the garden and that can promote healthy eating as well.