I’ve seen a number of super cute outdoor tents/forts this year in magazines, on Pinterest, etc. (for example, here) and have been reminded of how we used to make that happen at the cabin as kids. Rather, how my mom made it happen. I gathered the same materials my mom used when I was a child (truly – we’ve had these Beacon camp blankets for as long as I can remember) and Trevor “built” one for the kiddos. Note that our version is quite a bit easier than the showy ones you see online, but this is right up our alley from a building perspective as it takes little time and zero tools. Just a rope, a couple of blankets, clothespins, and some hefty rocks and you’re good to go! We’ll try it again when the weather cools and hunkering down under blankets seems even more inviting.

Tie the rope between two trees and secure one blanket on the line with the clothes pins. Add the second blanket to the other side and fold over at the top, securing again with the clothespins. Put the blankets at an angle and anchor the edges with the rocks.

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We have a tiny apple tree at the cabin, and this past weekend was harvest time. The kids have been watching and waiting for the apples to ripen all summer, and were anxious for the big day to arrive. The tree didn’t bear much fruit this year, which worked out well for our purposes – many more would not have held the kids’ attention, and Trevor’s arms needed a break.

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The company for which I work hosts a family event at the end of each summer. Social time with colleagues is always nice, but the best part is that it gets us out as a family to fun places we otherwise don’t frequent. This year’s event was at the zoo – that’s right, we don’t even make it to the zoo (we’re kind of homebodies – neighborhood park visits are a big deal). “What animal do you want to see?” is clearly the go-to question for people to ask little ones, as each person did so to Ella. She’d smile sweetly to everyone and say “a pink tiger.” Much to her delight, the souvenir stand right at the exit had plush tigers (of course it did) – one of them pink.

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