winner & eggs & SUMMER

April 26, 2011

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IMG_1006-1
i put off dying eggs until the last minute.
i wanted sunshine and to do it outside…..and to do it all by myself….if i’m being honest.
but kids like to dye eggs too so i had to share.

we had to do it inside.
in the kitchen.
and i just tried my very best to relax about DYE right next to all my white cabinets.
not sure if i succeeded.

our packets of colors was strange.
we ended up with green…greener….blue….and peach eggs.
not the prettiest set but still fun to make.

i can breath easier now.
it’s done for the year.

and i have lots of hard boiled eggs to eat.
yum.

show hide 380 comments

Stephanie - Hi there – not leaving a comment for the book – commenting on your egg decorating!
Do you raise chickens for eggs? (I noticed the brown eggs!) We do and we color brown eggs every year! I love the rich, darker coloring that we always get! They look much country-er! (If that is a word!) Here is how we get better coloring – we don’t use the store bought kits!
All I did was bring water to almost boiling, while that is warming, in coffee cups (1 for each color) pour about 1/2″ – 1″ of vinegar, when water is hot, pour into cups until about 1″ from top (depending on how big your cups are) Then I used the paste food coloring. I used 1/2 a baby spoon full and mixed until it was all the way dissolved. And VIOLA! Let your eggs sit and soak for a little bit and the colors will amaze you!! If you check out my blog – http://www.alittlebitathisnthat.blogspot.com – I have an Easter egg swag that I made out of colored brown eggs! Thanks for letting me share!

s - lazy late afternoons at the lake that turn into evening and we still haven’t left for home or eaten dinner and instead we eat goldfish and pretzels and watch the golden light fade before packing up and heading home for showers, baths and bed.

Emily - My best part of summer is going on vacation to the beach! I’d love to win a copy of this beautiful book.

Courtney M - Best part of summer in 3 words: flip-flops, s’mores, sun!

regina - the best part of summer is EVERYTHING!!! lighting bugs, lying on a blanket and looking up at the stars, lots of movie nights on the back porch, swimming at anytime, cookouts, bonfires (yes we have them in the summer), playing outside and totally forgetting about dinner until its 8:00, going out on the lake, lying on the porch reading a book, though this year it will be a nook:)…i could keep going on and on:)

Lynn - I just wanted to tell you that you have totally inspired me to start taking my photography more seriously. Your gorgeous pictures take my breath away. I bought an SLR and am still learning but I’m really excited and just wanted to say thanks! 🙂

Roberta - How exciting. The book looks awesome. My favorite part of summer is having the kids home with me and not having to have any set schedule. Sleeping late, day trips, ahhhh, can’t wait!

mandy sadler - Best part of summer is no school and we are moving!!! Thanks for the chance…

Jane - the best part of summer is eating the home grown veggies from the garden, my favourites are tomatoes and basil – yum! I would love to win this magazine cos in Australia we’re heading into winter so it Wouk give me lots of lovelies to look forward to!!

Jennie - most definitely the pool!

Cherie T - Stepping into a cold pool on a hot day.

Kerstie - Best part of summer, out door movie nights with the neighborhood.
Kerstie

Vonda - I can’t believe that I forgot to say the best part of summer is when my sister that lives in Florida comes to visit us with her family!!!! That is way up on the top of my list! Up there with having the kiddos home!:)

Caroline - family talent shows on the patio
going to the beach as a family
BLTs with fresh basil
being at the neighborhood pool
no early bus
no rigid schedules
catching lightning bugs with my kids

Lin - Naps outside.

Julie - Frozen lemonade and sandal tan lines

Christy - The best part of summer is eating almost all of our meals outdoors and not feeling guilty if supper isn’t served before 8. There’s too much great stuff going on to get to it before then!

Kristen - many things but. . .first on my mind is staying up late and sleeping in without that alarm clock!

Karen - Aaahhh! The best part of summer……. running outside in bare feet, feeling a cool breeze blow through your light cotton dress, having a cold glass of white wine on a patio on a sultry, hot, humid evening, getting “caught” by a sprinkler on a neighbourhood stroll, watching the sun set on an endless expanse of beach, slurping a popsicle that is melting quicker than you can eat it, al fresco breakfasts in your backyard, lazy no plan days (hopefully lots of them!) and of course, gardening! flowers, vegetables, berries, all there for the taking and enjoying. Oh summer, hurry up and arrive!

Rachael B - The best part of my summer is going to hawaii to visit my brother whom is a missionary. He is only in hawaii for a short while every year resting and training before his next big outreach 🙂 this summer i am lucky enough to be seeing him for a whole month!

Karen - Cross-country road trips to visit family!

holly - the best part of summer is the beach. i know you live a really long way from the beach, but i used to live far too. now i live close. i don’t live close to barns and thrift stores, though!

Lori - The best part of my summer is when the house is a mess, laundry is piled high, beds are unmaid and toys on the floor…the kids and I can forget it all and go outside! Sunshine can fix just about anything. Bring on the sprinkler and freezer pops!

Heather Earl - Best part is spending time with my kids at the beach, vacation bible school, summer reading program, the beach, and of course fourth of july cookout! LOVE summer!

Linda B - That my husband, the college professor, has a more relaxed schedule.

Gretchen - Best part of summer: Lazy Days with my kids, Swimsuits,Late nights playing outside, Visiting my Aunt and Uncles Cabin, Pond swiming, fishing, Fresh veggies from our garden, FLIP-FLOPS!, Slowed down schedule and more time as a family. Thanks for all your inspiration.

Amy Moon - The best part of summer is that sense of endless possibilities. Instead of, “Is your homework done, did you do your reading, you need WHAT for class tomorrow?” I get to say, “What should we do today?” And then the next day I get to do that again.
Oh…and gardening. I love my garden…almost as much as my kids! Hundreds of homegrown tomatoes baby!

Vonda - The best part of summer is definitely having the kids home! No schedules, staying up late and sleeping in, swimming, barbecueing, and taking our 30 pound pug for a walk. I love the flowers and the long days too! We live across from a campground and they have movie night on Saturday nights-so fun! It is definitely my favorite season!:)

Kim Howell - three girls in the pool non stop for 3 months!!

Alice H - I like taking the majority of my vacation days and being with my kids ALL day. And the swimming pool. And the smell of sunscreen. And the lake with friends.

virginia - the sunshine!

jennifer - Summer is…going barefoot everyday…sunshine…homemade ice cream…swimming…wildflowers…visiting on the front porch…and napping in a hammock!

Tammy Sabourin - The prospect of seeing our extended family while on vacation! We live very far away from them, so cherish any opportunity and this summer looks like it will work for all of us. 🙂

carrie - Taking the girls to the beach 🙂

Staci - SLEEPING IN!!!!!!!!!! Thanks Megan!!!!

Emily - The best part of summer is having garden fresh tomatoes growing in my backyard!

deborah@applesinwonderland - best part about summer? that it needs to be celebrated everyday. because we know it goes too fast. and the beach and cooking outside and lightening bugs and bonfires and flip-flops and vine ripened tomatoes and peaches and grass between your toes and sunshine and no school and (well, that’s probably enough).

Anne - I love not having anywhere that we “have” to be during the summer! Our school year is jam packed with scheduled activities, so it’s such a relief to “chill” during the summer months. 🙂

Jeannie P - Hands down, the best part of summer is having my kids home every minute of the day!

Rachel Newswanger - The birds sing’in, the sunshine & NO school schedule to keep up with!

erica - the endless sunny days without an agenda – just me and my 3 lil ones:)

Ruth H. - The best part of my summer is the FREEDOM. I get to have my kids with me all day long, and our schedule is (mostly) wide open. We get to decide what we do all day. I love having my kids to myself!

julie - the best part of my summer is that i get to be a stay at home mom for 9 weeks. i’m a teacher! wahooo!!

Jenny B. - The best part of summer for me is NO SCHOOL! I’m a teacher, and my summer break starts next Friday! Woo-Hoo!

Annie - my favorite part of summer is sleeping with the windows open..listening to the crickets and the cool breeze blowing on my face after a long hot day!!

Whitney R - Grilling, kids with me, swimming, porch swinging, bike riding, lazy days!

Terrie - Best part of summer is the beautiful flowers that I like to plant, then I can spend days outside taking pics…may not happen this year! I’m having so much fun in my new craft room, that I may never go outside!!
BTW, as I was going through the Jan. ’11 issue of Creating Keepsakes…I saw a perfect layout title for your girls and their boots…These boots are made for splashing! You would have great pics to make that a cute page! You may have already done a page like that…but had to think of you when I saw it!

Jennifer Roehl - Lazy days with my family cause we’ll be staying home a lot this summer! We’re adopting baby #3 in June!

Mary - The best part is traveling “home” to Kansas. I’ve lived in Colorado for 20 years, but Kansas is still “home”. This year on my way from my in-laws to my parents home, I will be stopping in Marion at that fabulous antique place you blogged about! Oh, my boys will hate it but I can’t wait….

Rachel B. - Love summer evenings! My husband and I sneak ice cream and sit outside after the kids go to bed!

Sally - Congratulations! How exciting that you work continues to be recoginzed.
My favorite part of summer is hanging out at my Dad’s lake house in the adirondack mountains. It’s so nice to wear a sweatshirt in the summer…ahh! And a huge bonus to be with family since we live out-of-state.

Julie - My husband is a school teacher and I’m a SAHM, so we take the summer off and travel with our two children!

Jennifer - Not having to get up early and get the kids off to school, lazy days, going to CA to visit family and friends… the list goes on!

Ann R. - Spending time with the family, not so much rushing, no homework, no schedule, the beach and lemonade stands!

Kari - Spending the entire day with my almost two year old little lady…running, biking, reading, sunning, singing, swimming…I can hardly wait!

jodi - the best part of the summer is living near my mom (who lives at the beach) after living 1000 miles away for 15 years… my mom rocks!
jodi in pa

amy jupin - i am flipping out excited for you with this whole summer thing!
i’m freakin out!!
but let’s be honest here…the best part of summer isn’t the beach or lemonade or hammocks. the best part is NO HOMEWORK!
🙂

Janelle - I live in the Virgin Islands – every day is summer! My least favorite months are actually June through September because of the threat of hurricanes. But the best thing about living in a year long summer? Wearing shorts & flip flops all the time!

Melanie - Best part of summer…cookouts with the family, sitting on the patio late into the night with a glass of wine, leaving the bedroom window open while I sleep and hearing the frogs croaking, going to my niece’s baseball games, working in my garden, being barefoot, eating ice cream, swimming in a cold pool on an exceptionally hot day.

Robin - where to start….flip flops and bare feet, sunshine and late nights, BBQ and lemonade…I could go on and on and on and on…

ShelbyP - Hmm, I love pool time, being out in the sun, random trips to the library and evening BBQs with friends!

EllenVR - pool, Freddie’s frozen custard, friends, horseshoes…and if I’m lucky lots of the lake

Margo - The best parts of my summer are bbq’s, ball games, and adult beverages on the patio with good friends.

Karen A. - Best part of my summer is spending 5 weeks on a lake in the Adirondacks with my four girls (age 2-10)- with my sister-in-law, our 4 nephews (age 3-11), and my inlaws – and being able to go to Camp of the Woods which is just on the other side of the lake from us. Second best thing is jumping off the dock into the lake after a run! 🙂

Joanna - The best part of my summer is not being cold.

Mrs. - Summer…sticky hands holding drippy popsicles while watching an orange sunset in the cool, green, fresh cut grass.

elizabeth highsmith - mcdonalds ice cream cones-they are the best fun a dollar can buy-i once thought i’d keep a record of how many i consume in a summer-then i realized i can’t count that high!

Stacey - Summer= pretty much no schedule and lots of lazy days!

Stacy - I do not work in the summer so I get to spend everyday with my son. We read, go to the library and find a lot of free stuff to do!

Meredith - I love bare feet in the summer!!!!

courtney - my favorite activity of summer is sitting on the porch with my husband watching our three little ones jump around in the sprinkler. it makes the grass and sunscreen covered kitchen floor ever so worth it!

Linda War Bonnet - The best part of summer….weekly concerts in the park!!!

cheryl - my husband, who is a school teacher, being home for the summer with us!

Nicole Q. - Don’t know if I can only list one . . . oh so many favorites . . . the pool would rank up at the top!!!

phyllis - I love EVERYTHING about summer – especially the yummy summer fruit!

merlin - letting go
and letting time
have its way
never looking at a clock

Kelli - Definitely the farmer’s market in our little town! Then coming home and figuring out a yummy dinner with my finds!

Rebecca L. - Since I love summer so much I can’t decide:
1. long sunshinie days
2. watermelon!
3. that shadow that falls across everything in the evening when the sun is at that perfect spot.
4. sweet corn
5. swimming
6. grilled ANYTHING…mmm.
7. porch swings/ hammocks/ lawn chairs
8. Popsicles with the juice dripping down to your elbows.
9. flip flops!
10. This summer means my FIRST ANNIVERSARY and I can’t wait to celebrate with my favorite man!

alaina - My favorite part of summer is all my children under one roof (2 are in college)and living at the softball field watching them play!!! I just get all giddy thinking of having my kids home once again and just being together…that is bliss (until the dishes need to be done!)

maribeth - a sno cone on a hot summer day . . . so yummy!

Rachel - Honestly, the best part of summer for me is not working. I’m a teacher and I’m not gonna lie…I love my summer vacation! Last summer I went to Italy and France and was gone for nearly the entire two months. It was awesome. I can’t afford to do that again this summer, plus I have to finish my masters degree. But still…no work. Ahhhh.

Lizz - It would have to be making Art outside with some brand new kiddos! Oh, and eating frozen yogurt!!

Jen - the best part of summer is sitting on the stoop in a cool summer breeze, sipping lemonade watching the kids play & relaxing.

Debbie - The best part of summer is knowing that I do not have to drop my child off at a babysitter’s house. I get to stay home with her and go to the zoo and take painting classes and play at the beach in the sand and blow bubbles and whatever we want.

Courtney Henson - The best part of my summer is roasting marshmallows over the fire pit in the backyard at night..twinkle lights on and the atmosphere just perfect and lounging on the hammock soaking up the warm rays of sunshine while my kids play in the backyard!

Tanya - My favorite part of summer is going to the beach, whether it be nearby or while on vacation. Love it! This year will be bittersweet as it is the last summer before my daughter starts school, so we will certainly make the best of the last few months before big school start

Lori - lazy mornings with the kids…NO MAKING SCHOOL LUNCHES…coming and going as we please (for the most part:))…

susie - savoring a slower pace of life with my family…heaven

Suzanne D - grilling out and spending time with my family!!

robyn - our camping trip to glacier national park in montana! the kids talk about it all winter long 🙂

stacie - right now i want summer so badly that i must say sunshine, all my babies in the nest together, ice cream, outdoor fires, grilled dinners, carefree time, margaritas and camps for the kids!

Lacey - finially going to the beach! we didn’t get to go at all last year because of the oil spill. Can’t wait to stick my toes in the sand and relax while the kids splash and play.

Penny - Being off work all summer!! Spending time with my girls, reading on the deck, cooking out, sitting around the fire pit roasting marshmallows. Oh so many things I just can’t pick one favorite!
This summer we will have a litter of Goldendoodle puppies to raise, too!!

shelley - the most wonderful part of summer is the long days. Little Jude and stay outside late and watch the sun go down while we play out on the deck with chalk and his water table.

Heather - The cottage. Slipping into the lake for the first time every summer is golden. When I wake up early and head down to the dock in time to catch the sun coming over the trees and the mist rising off the water I know we are not alone.

Jennifer G. - The best part of summer…….beach, beach, beach. Love the salty smell, kids and their sand castles, and sounds of the waves crashing over and over! Oh and a margarita in there somewhere!

Tami Hiebert - My son just saw this and said, “You should say the best part of your summer is when your kids don’t fight!” Pretty good answer!

Laura Gentle - Sitting in my swing hung from a hundred year old oak tree with a good book; roasting marshmallows in the fire pit and making smores with exotic candy bars and homemade cookies; fishing at the lake all day and then cooking a fish feast for dinner with coleslaw, hushpuppies and cheese grits; chasing fireflies with my one and only child makes me most happy. Smiling just thinking about it!

carly - cookouts, lighting bugs and sidewalk chalk with my kids!!!

Denise - The best part of summer is when my family comes to visit!

Erin T. - Our family vacation in the Outerbanks! I am so looking forward to lounging around at the pool and the beach, playing with my littles and studying photography/taking lots of pictures!

Danielle - Going to the beach with my kids, barbecues and eating outside. Making s’mores outside by the fire. And SUN, glorious SUN!!! We don’t get a whole lot of it in WA.

Heidi - I LOVE lazy mornings!

Jenna - Not working, going to the lake as much as possible, and pretty much everything else. Summer is the BEST.

Carrie Haywood - The past two summers I have been VERY pregnant and delivered babies (June 2009 and August 2010) so usually it’s having my new, beautiful bundle of joy here with me.. but this year my best part of summer will be spending time with them, showing them new, fun things.. can’t wait to take them swimming!! 🙂

Eli - Best part of summer: sitting on the dock, for hours and hours, with nothing more important to do.

Dani - I love that I don’t have to rush around at night with my kids. They can stay up later if they want to. Dinner is not a rush to finish so baths can be taken. Summer time is much more laid back for us. I also LOVE to take my kids camping.

Jennifer - The best part about summer is having my kids home and working and playing together!

Jenny - Being outside all day, no structure, kids running around the yard, sprinklers, pools, splashing, bubbles, margarita evenings, sand boxes, kids who smell like sunblock, the beach, frozen pops (any kind), music on the patio, cold food, sundresses, friends…friends…and more friends, water guns, swingsets, sticky kid fingers, art projects outside, bikes, gardens…we live in South Carolina where it become sticky hot and humid…so, I cannot leave out the amazing feeling of coming inside and showering and hanging out with my hubby after an amazing fun filled super hot day. Bring on the Summer!

jennibell - Best part of summer. . .days at the pool with the kids!!! And BBQs.

alise - best part of summer is having no schedule and going to the beach, flip flops and eating outside!!!
thanks for the chance to win….

Rebecca - Caprese salad with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes and basil picked from my garden. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic–best lunch ever!

Rebecca - Fun Fridays! As a reward for good behavior and cooperation all week, we have a swimming/play date with friends. We meet after lunch at a friends house (who has a pool), the boys swim and play and have snacks and moms have frozen margaritas or lemonades with vodka. Good for the kids, GREAT for the mamas!

Alicia @ La Famille - Best part of summer: flip-flops, skirts, NO coats!

se7en - Oh we are headed into winter over here and we have had three days of rain after months of not a drop and I tell you first hand the BEST thing about summer is so much less laundry!!! T-shirt and shorts all round compared to jeans, shirts, sweaters, jackets, hats, socks… I could go on about the laundry but I am trying to embrace the cold – failing dismally!!! I love summer and wish it was always summer!!!

jennifer - Sleeping in and stuffing as much fun as possible into those too short 8 weeks!

Kathy - We homeschool and ar always together and can technically MAKE time for things. BUT there is something about warm Summer evenings and bright sunny days that just feel like you have been given time. The pressures melt away and fun extra things get done without guilt.

Stacey - The best part of summer is the lazy, fun days with BOTH of my kids at home! Love it!

nicki - I’m in NP school, so the BEST is the 3 weeks in August that we have off before the fall semester! Lots more time with family & friends instead of the books! 🙂

Camm Taylor - No schedules…going with the flow….sandy toes at the beach….ice cold beer on a hot night….summer storms….so much! LOVE summer!

Chantelle - My birthday!!!! Usually a trip to the nail salon, a sip of sweet red wine, a relaxing walk on the beach and/or a stress-free visit to the local bookstore, topped off by a hearty meal with my fam! BRING IT!!!

Mel - The kids being home from school. . . and if I had to be honest, I would add that my second favorite part is when the kids go back when summer winds down!! Is that bad?

Sandra K - The best thing about summer – where to start?!
– Lots and lots of time with lots of friends at our awesome community pool
– Diet cokes and soft pretzels at that pool
– Grilling out!
– Awesome produce from my li’l garden or the farmer’s market, especially tomatoes and sweet corn!
– Sno-cones
– S’mores in the backyard
– Dining outside!
– No school and more time with my kids

Sarah - Man you must have a lot of followers…look at all those comments! My fav part of summer is the pool and the color my skin soaks in from the sun. I miss the sun. Someday…

Tracy - I love to spend time with my family outside….going to the pool, grilling outside, going fishing, going to the park, riding bike, the zoo, and playing golf….love it all!

Mindy Harris - Of course I’d love to win my own copy!
The best part of summer is family vacations, freshly mowed grass and the scent thereof, and catching fireflies.
And swimming.
And watermelon.
And laying out in the sun (but only for 10 mins).

Sara M. - Going to the beach on Lake Michigan!

Amy - Swimming in ponds, swimming in lakes, swimming in rivers, swimming in streams! I live in New England so the summer months are the only time I get to swim outside and it is FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!

Jacqui - the warmth of the sun on my face and the endless hours outside:)

Trena - I mean…under the stars!

Tanya H - Every summer since before we had kids (oldest is 9) my husband has run a scout camp in the summer. It can be fun but even when we all live there with him Daddy-time is precious, hard to come by and impossible to have his full attention. This year, he doesn’t have a camp assigment and we are all so excited we can hardly stand it! 😀 We’re gonna have some actual FAMILY time instead of just mommmy-kid time!

Trena - the best part of summer for me…not having to pack school lunches…Just kidding…campfires with my family in the yard until the stars! ♥

Shanna - This summer will be special because I’m having a baby!!!!!!!

Alisa - I grew up in Kansas, but I moved away just before I turned 16 in 1986 – and I’ve never been back. For me summer is the blue open sky in Kansas, a yellow sunflower taller than yourself, the taste of a limeaide, the smell of chlorine in my hair, and the feel of a swimsuit dry the minute you step out of a pool. I now have a family of my own and live in Europe – but I sometimes miss the feeling of those long summers in Kansas, and wish my kids could someday feel it too.

Juli - I’ve already pre-ordered my copy (thanks for original heads-up) but I’d love to win a copy for my friend, Amanda! The best part of THIS coming summer, in particular, is that my husband is taking off the semester from his Master’s program so that he can play with us! I am GIDDY!

Donna - Best part of summer……wearing flip flops everyday, and having some time off work to spend with my favorite people….my family 🙂

Michelle - The best part of summer is our annual family reunion week – and this year will be even better ’cause my cousin and I will have our firstborns with us. There hasn’t been a baby in the family in 26 years!

Simies - Best part of my summer is be with my family. Relax at home or by the sea in Italy 🙂

erin - time spent on, in, or by the water….pool, lake, ocean…i’ll take all three!

dawn - Last year we were without our own home, we lived in MANY different places. This summer will be a treat. No moving, no suitcases, our own home/space/stuff… That time really reminded me how little you truly need and how good it feels to just have your own little place in the world. 🙂

Meredith Salmon - I can’t wait to get it. When I first started my job 4 years ago, Tricia Foley was still working here. She would not know me, but she is very creative and has tons of great ideas and takes great pictures, just like you Meg. Congrats!!!!

Robyn - The beach and warm sunshine!!!

Kirsten J - Best part of summer (you mean those 3 or 4 weeks we get here in Seattle?) would be waking up, taking an early walk and then watering my flowers after I get back. Yep, happens about 1/2 dozen times every summer….and, why, yes, I am bitter about where I live lately….

rosemarie - sunshine and swimming in the pool with kids….

sara @ it's good to be queen - oh i really want to win!! the best part of summer is having a cookout with friends and sitting outside for hours talking and laughing while the kids play. can’t wait!

colleen - best part of summer…it’s NOT winter or spring (not very nice here)!!!!! and i’m a teacher…so days to stay at home with MY kids and enjoy the sun…what’s not to love?

Kasey - The best part of my summer this year is going to be having my second baby!

Ana G - The best part of summer for me is the beach! Even though we live in the Pacific NW, where the water is chilly, and the beaches are mostly rocky, my kids LOVE playing in the water and I LOVE hanging on the beach. Looking forward to it! 🙂

Jenni Carlisle - Yeah for Melissa…better yet YEAH for SERGEY!!!! Best part of Summer for me is that I’m a homeschool/stay at home Mom, so I just get to BE with my kids. For years as a working Mom I battled feeling guilty only getting a week off, now I get them the whole summer! Love it!

Kelly O. - the best part of my summer is the twinkly lights on in the backyard and me and my laptop on the porch just listening to the crickets

Katie Sellers - Summer is just more relaxed. This summer my favorite part will be vacationing all over Florida with my kids. It is a stay-cation for us, but we will be starting Key West, moving on to Marco Island and then up to the Destin panhandle! Can’t wait!

LeAnne - blueberries eaten straight off of the tree!

Jes - Our summers consist of a lot of family outdoor fun activities: bike riding, sidewalk chalk, bike riding, swimming, bike riding, fishing, yes we do a lot of bike riding. Most of all, just the relaxing moments Summer brings. The kids can stay up later (not going to bed with the sun up), evening walks, fishing for a whole day! I love summer!

Kirsten P - Sitting on the deck reading a book while listening to the wind rustle the leaves of the cottonwood trees – 25 of them! Walking along the shore of a Great Lake. Enjoying the flowers of summer.

Lori - Best part of summer….the relaxed schedule and atmosphere – we get together with friends more often, even on a weeknight when we have to go to work the next day. And all that fresh produce! Love summer…

Tracie - Not having to force my daughter out of bed in the morning, that’s the best part. We all love to sleep in during the summer, and drink lots and lots of iced tea!

TonyaElise - Summer clothes! So much more fun than winter – sandals, tanks, sun dresses…yea!

Lelia - Having no schedule to stick to so I can spend extra time with the kiddos!! =)

Kimberly Au - Love my summers! One of the reasons I became a teacher was so that I could still enjoy my WI summers to the fullest, now with my own kids. Simple things like going to the wading pool, zoo and concerts in the park. This summer is especially exciting as we are expecting our third baby in just a few weeks!

Jessica R - The best part of summer is fresh, homemade ice-cream!! Something sweet to beat the heat!

AshleyAnn - Days full of nothing but being at home together. Being at home.
It is so stinkin’ cool that you are in that magazine…smart move on their part!

Leslie - The best part of summer is the warm nights so we can “camp” in the backyard. We bbq, roast marshmellows, play board games, run around with flash lights and leave ALL electronic devices (cell phones, etc.) in the house.

Jennifer - My very FAVORITE – early mornings alone with my coffee and the hose, soaking the hydrangeas, followed by breakfast topped with ripe strawberries, and then turning on the sprinkler and watching the children turn their swing set/fort into a water land while I sit across the yard and sip iced tea with my camera and a good magazine in hand. Does it get any better?

Laura in LA - Abundant sunshine, sprinklers, tomatoes, peas, blueberries!!! Ahhh, can’t wait.

Maureen Troop - I just love having my kids home and we can decide each day what we WANT to do, not what HAS to be done! I love the relaxed pace and time together!

Southern Gal - The part when we can all get away to the beach as a family. Sit in my beach chair, toes in the water and a good book in my hand with kids playing in the surf. Absolute favorite.

Terri Upton - The best part of summer is the relaxed and carefree feeling.

Jes - best part of the summer is our July vacation by the beach with my family, especially dinner for the whole 15 of us at Aunt Carrie’s Restaurant (Narragansett RI)

cindy - Checking off things from our summer fun list…esp. craft friday which was inspired by you! 🙂

Sarah Vincent - This summer will be a little different because I am joining team “Stay Home Mom” so this year I am really looking forward to the whole Summer with my two kiddos!!

Molly - the best part of summer is being home with my two girls! i absolutely love it! i count down to summer every year like a kid i am a teacher, so really it’s not that different!:)

Sarah - The pool! And the lake! 🙂

julia - That looks like a whole lot of egg salad {I didn’t even do the whole dye-ing egg thing this year…not my fave thing to do}.

Rebecca - My favorite part of summer is the sunshine and the WARMTH. After a roller coaster spring, that is what I am ready for!
Thanks for the giveaway!

Melissa Lynch - Slowing down..no running to dance, gymnastics, chior..just enjoying each other at night instead of homework? bedtime?

Amy - ALL of summer is awesome. Sun dresses, flip flops, swimsuits, warm lakes, longer days, running thru sprinklers, SWIMMING, picnics, kid-filled front & back yards, star gazing, SWIMMING, water skiing, warm sand between the toes, cute little chubby bodies w/ tan lines…… And having my oldest home from school w/ us. (1st grade, & his first year to be in all day. *sigh*)

april - just chilling with my three lovelies at the beach~ living so close to lake michigan has advantages. we do a summer beach tour to hit our favs. st. joe, south haven, and warren dunes…just to name a few~~oh i wish it was summer now!

Beth Ann - Best part of summer? Lots of days with no schedules and lots of activities to pick from! Lots of evenings around a fire pit with the kids running around outside playing with friends. And after 9 straight days of clouds and rain – SUNSHINE!!!

shiela - camping in our backyard…our 5 yr old daughter getting all excited about doing car wash with her daddy…playdates with friends at church…both of our kids birthday are in the summer…vacation, vacation!!!

merran tatum - eating watermelon and playing outside…and candle-lit outdoor dinners with the hubs. love.

Amanda - Hmmmm, there are so many things to love about summer…..sunshine, warm weather, swimming, sleeping in, being outside, hanging with my girls……I love it all 🙂

Angela Atkins - Fun days with my kids with lots of sunshine and blue skies.

Jen - The SUN!!!!

Jody - Dusk..I love running around outside w kiddos, catching fire flies & watching sun set w our fire pit goin’ w smores!! So fun.

Amanda F. - I love EVERYTHING about summer. The weather, the fruit, the flowers, gardening, kids home from school, traveling, open windows, bug noises, frog noises, lawnmower noises, everything.
We’ve recently moved to California and I am looking forward to a whole new summer experience.

Jen - A more relaxed schedule and all the time I spend watching the kids play softball/baseball. Really, the entertainment value of little kids playing ball is amazing!!

Patricia - I love everything about summer … but right now the thing I’m most looking forward to is no school, no homework, no helping the kids study for tests, no projects, no papers, and no book bags strewn all over the place! Just being honest :o)

rachel p - Being outside with my 2 little boys!! They are so tired of being indoors, and I’m so tired of playing in MUD PUDDLES 😉 We’re all ready for sunshine and bathing suits and lightning bugs and bellies stained from popsicles!

Gale - Best part of summer in Kansas…. hmmmmmm…. not the heat…. not having to shovel snow comes to mind.. LOL!! Seriously, love just hanging out, being lazy, being light at 8:30pm, grilling, wearing my Toms, drinking margaritas on the deck… what’s not to like? 🙂

Nicky Simmons - easy… floating on the lake with a cold beer in my hand!

Jenny K - Eating outside. At home or a restaurant on a sidewalk or better yet a deck overlooking the ocean!

Kim Barlow - The best part of summer for me is more FREEDOM!!! No more practices, No more games, no more 1.5 hour commute each way (for school drop offs and then to work), no more homework battles, no more packing of lunches and the laundry is a LOT lighter! WOOT WOOT!! And most IMPORTANTLY more chances to be bask in the SUNSHINE with friends and family!! I LOVE SUMMERTIME!!!

Amy - Being home with my kids and eating lunch on the back patio!

Dana Banana - Living at the pool!! (hope you and your fam will join me there!)

Susanna - No carpool, bare feet(and painting little toenails funky colors) and family meals outside!

Sarah @ Handbags*N*Pigtails - Best part of summer? Visiting my parents cottage on a small lake about an hour away.They’ve had it for 35 years and its nothing fancy but its RELAXING to be there and wake up to hear the water outside your bedroom window.
Their taxes keep drastically increasing each year and theyre not sure how long they’ll be able to keep the cottage so each summer that we have there is a gift!

Su@The Intentional Home - best part of summer. . is less tight of a schedule. . do not have to get up at certain time, do not have to get in car and drop kids off and pick kids up. . .thanks for the opportunity to win a copy of the magazine. . .

jeana - I’ve asked for this for my birthday! I would love to win! My summer favorite? Reading outside in a hammock while the kids are playing.

jayne Barbour - best part of summer is not having to be anywhere and just enjoying the lazy days!

Jill @ Cora Anne Designs - Best part about summer…hmm…only one??? How about lots of time spent outdoors with awesome neighbors, family and friends!!

Alyssa - EVERYTHING! But for this summer it will have to be being pregnant with our new little life 🙂 Due in September! It has been a ball so far and I know the TX heat will be very unforgiving but I cant wait to be outside and with family toting a little baby in my belly!
xoxo

Laurie Schmotzer - The best part of summer…not setting the alarm!

Molly Pearce - The best part of summer for me is when all the children I teach every Sunday and Wednesday night at church get of school for summer! This means, movie parties, bible study outside, vacation bible school, swim parties and my all time favorite thing to do with them is to have a kick off to summer lock in at church!! So much fun!!!
~Molly P

amosclutchpedal - My husband is a teacher with a very busy schedule, so summertime with him is the best!

Valerie Alexander - Flip flops, sunkissed skin, highlighted hair, swimming, I could go on…. Come on Summer!!

Kate - Every year (or at least almost) we head back to my home town, right on the beaches of Lake Michigan. We play in the sand and the surf and watch the sun go down. We ride rollercoasters. We eat ice cream from the ice cream stand I used to visit as a kid. We go for dune rides. We have bonfires. We drink beer and listen to my uncle play banjo. It’s always a great week.

Trish - I’m gonna be honest here:
I like having my kids around, but I LOVE when they go to camp. They usually go on different weeks, so I have only one home at a time, and I cherish that one on one time with them. Plus I know that the other kid is at a wonderful camp having the time of their life!
Oh, my other favorite part of summer is when we get to leave Alaska in late July, early August, in search of REAL summer weather! I love a week or two of 90 degrees!

Courtney - to name just one is impossible…fresh cut grass, watermelon dripping off your elbows, fireflies, candle light suppers on the back porch…I love summer!

Tammy - Aw, fun in the sun, picnics & homegrown tomatoes….yum!
Thanks for a the great giveaway once again!

Laura Phelps - The BEST part of summer for me? Putting on my bathing suit and wearing it in public! I LOVE that!
Oh wait…
that’s my biggest nightmare!
I suppose it is the carefree timelessness of every day…
no schedules
no lunches to pack
no homework
LOTS of BBQ’s and chalk filled driveways and ice cream cones and cold beer at 3pm
I LOVE it..
for about 2 weeks
then I want to shoot myself in the head

amac - Where I live it’s always summer more or less. But during the hottest months (110+) my favorite thing is mangoes. They are in season, they are CHEAP, they are delicious!!! They’re almost good enough to make me forget that it’s so HOT! Thanks for the chance to win 🙂

Tami C. - No set schedule and my mom’s pool. Love it.

Beth K. in CO - There are so many things that I love about summer! Swim lessons, softball games, vacation Bible school, trips to the mountains, it staying lighter outside so there is more play time, BBQs, picnics, flip flops, going to the pool. I should probably stop here, but there are so many more to list. 🙂

jodi @ back40life - time outside, time at the pool and big family vacations…those are the best!

Karen Giddings - Best part of summer . . . not as many “have to’s”. 😀

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - The very best part of my summer… swimming with the kids. So fun.

Rebecca - The best part of summer is long days off with the kids, and late nights up with the Mr.!

Deb Meyers - Best: kids home. Long days. tanned legs and faces.
deb meyers

Karen - The best part for me is the warmth & the sunshine!

Happygirl02 - EVERYTHING!!! The sun, the breeze, the long days, catching fireflies, bbq’s, s’mores, gardening, my kids, fresh cut grass, flowers, not having to wear shoes…. the list never ends!

Toni - Summer night bbqs and Dodger games with friends! Oh, and late night walks with my husband and my beagle.

Laurie Kauffman - I love s’mores in the backyard and laying on the lawnchairs looking at the stars and counting lightning bugs.

georgia - The best bit is going for late night dog walks and watching the sun set 🙂

Courtney Walsh - I totally love that your house is referred to as “The Fun House” lol 🙂 How awesome is that?
Best part of my summer…? Um. Probably going home and spending a week with my sister. But this is the first summer where I havent’ been in Illinois so we’ll see…maybe Colorado will surprise me. 🙂

Sandy W - Dinners on the pontoon boat with my husband and son are most definitely the best part of my summer. I can’t wait! It is still cold and rainy here in Michigan.

Rosita - The best part of summer is the flowers, all the flowers.

karen - flip flops 🙂

Lori - My favorite parts are eating fresh veggies from my garden, yard sales, late night thunderstorms, watching my girls set up their own lemonade/fresh veggies stand.:) Lori

Jen - The best part about summer is that almost everything finally slows down.

Leslie - Hands down being with my kids!!!! After eing sooo inspired by your blog….we are going to start a craft Thursday. I have three boys 15, 14 and almost 10. We just bought the supplies to make the raindow plates with the streamers :} Before I blink my kids will be grown so I am cherishing every moment!Annnd I am holding onto my hat cause my 15 year old is driving. Thanks for being so inspiring :}}}}

Ruth Elder - We moved into a new-to-us house before Christmas. this summer I get to plant flowers in the front yard and the kids will be home to help me put up a picket fence. I’ve never had one before!

julie h - being home with my kids…baby 2 is due in june!

Amy Swanson - Best part of summer: Driving to my parents house with the kids for weekends. They have property where we can fish, ride ATV’s, and swim. Plus my dad makes a big breakfast every morning and my mom does our laundry. Heavenly!

Valerie @ Chateau a La Mode - Best part of summer?…..The long summer nights. BBQs, eating outside, late night walks. Maybe that’s more than one. Oh well, hope it’s me 🙂

Shawnie - The best part of summer is spending time at the lake!

juliana whisman - Eating grilled food outside & hours at the pool!

Megan - The best part for me is not having a schedule – we can go to the pool, stay home, or go on a trip whenever!

jen smith - sleeping in, lazy days, swimming. i love summer!

Amy - The best part is getting to spend time with my 3 year old son. This summer will be even better as we welcome boy/girl twins into our home!

Jen H. - The best part of summer for me is having my hubby home since he is a teacher. We go camping with our girls and it is such a fun and relaxing time!!!! 🙂

Jermaine D. - Gardening!

Becki G. - Sleeping late every day.

Sarah - I already ordered my copy and can’t wait! I would love to win one for my mom though….
Best part of summer…kids, sprinklers, the pool, sun, bright blue skies, sweet iced sun tea, picnics, ice cream socials…..and if we’re lucky on vacaation, the beach!

Benay - Relaxing and having the kids around. Taking family trips. Going to the pool. We live in a big city in Brazil which empties out during the summer because Brazilians get a month off and usually spend it at the beach. So living in a somewhat less crowded city during the summer is really nice.

shelly - the best part of summer is…nothing! doing Nothing at all, sitting by/on a lake…watching parades in camp chairs…..laying out, looking at the stars…..I’m ready for it to be here Now!

ingrid - garden bursting with veggies and blooms!

Wendy - Sleeping in, late dinners outside by the pool, visiting family, enjoying the outdoors, going to the beach….. so many things to look forward to. 🙂

Roxane - My garden, the smell of fresh cut grass, the sound of the sprinklers going, the pool, corn on the cob, snow cones and yummy fruit!

Jennifer - Those are weird colors for easter eggs! We still haven’t done ours. 🙂 We will…eventually.
My favorite part of the summer is not having homework and school. My girls still do dance but that is twice a week only. I love the freedom and lack of a schedule!

Donna - No homework!

mandy friend - my favorite part of summer? going to the Rogue River, rafting, otterpops by the dozens, our cabin, campingi could go on…i’ve never won a darn thing-PLEASE:)

Pippa - The best part of summer for me is, this may sound crazy, but it’s not having to worry about homework, don’t have to make lunch, don’t have to get my daughter to school – I always feel such a relief – like a vacation. Of course, love love love going to the beach too!!!!

lynette - The best part of summer is getting to just “be” with my kids. Not having to do school or anything that we really do not want to. The best part of this summer will be meeting our fourth baby girl.

Wendy - The kids being off school & the warm weather

Janet Biernacki - warm sunshine, flower bed and pots full, easier days.

Talia - Oh, so many things…strawberries, farm stands, trips to the farmers market, impromptu wine parties on the porch w/neighbors, the easy attitude and spirit of summer. All of it is just blissful!

Elizabeth - The best part of my summer..is taking off the nail polish from the summer before..off my toenails and putting on a new color!!!! How bad is that??????

Hayley - The best part of my summer is usually making roadtrips to visit family, especially to Oregon. But this year, the best part will be moving back home from a year abroad in Germany…I’m so excited to see my family and friends!!!

Kerry - The best part of my summer is wearing flip flops and painting my toes bright, happy colours 🙂

tam - honestly, (this sounds horrible) but the best part of summer is no homework for the kids! Do you ever get tired of dealing with the homework battles?

Jena - The best part of my summer is having my two girls (9 & 6) with me, all day long, every day! It doesn’t matter if we are going somewhere fun or staying home in pjs all day. I love and cherish every moment I spend with them! Thanks for the chance to win! selphishgirl@aol.com

Katie - best part of summer: parks and picnics, relaxed days, being together as a family!

Sy, Shaunna & The Boys - eating all of our meals outside on the patio, staying up late, and movies played outside on the side of the house. summer is heaven around here!

Aimee - The best part of summer is the road trips. I LOVE road trips and we usually take at least one big or small road trip. Getting to sleep in is a close second though and this year the best part will probably be the pool we are planning to get.

Vicki - Okay…are you ready…this is earth shattering stuff. The best part of summer is when my hot mocha….becomes an iced mocha. That’s right. It isn’t the fresh veggies from the garden, or the kids playing in the sprinkler, warm nights sleeping with the windows open. Nope. It’s all about the COFFEE!

Danielle H. - The best part of summer is vacation with family, late summer nights grilling and eating smores, and no rushing around trying to get here and there by a certain time!

Lisa - What is there NOT to like about summer? I love having my kids home (but so ready for them to go back to school by the end). I love being outside at the river and watching my kids run and play. I love camping. I love being tan. I love having no set schedule. I love swimming. I love having outside BBQ’s. Oh I could go on and on! 🙂

ajdked - No school for the kids, eating on the patio, water balloons, ice cream, strawberry shortcake, flip flops, shorts, cooking on the grill, etc. I LOVE SUMMER, it’s my favorite season!

Julie - The best part(s) sleeping in, enjoying the sunshine, watching my garden grow and more time with my son.

Sarah - The part of summer we most look forward to is heading out to WA State for a few weeks to spend time with my husband’s family. They live on the sound with views of Mt. Rainier…we are on the beach constantly and catch up on a years worth of happenings…wonderful memories that seem like a fairy tale to this midwestern girl!

Marla S. - Lazy days filled with tan skin, bare feet, sno cones, good books, Sonic drinks, watermelon, and riding around in the mom van with the windows down and the music blaring!

Tiffany - my favorite part of summer is longer days. luv them. luv the sunlight and how it makes me happier.

Heidi Bohrer - No homework!!

Jess - I love summer…love being in the sunshine, love gardening, and love backyard bbqs! 🙂

Jennifer - that’s easy…flip flops and watermelon!

Kim - I can’t wait for summer to be here! Fun with the kids, exploring a city still new to us, walks, bike rides, parks, a trip to the cottage, chickens….yep! I think we’re getting a couple of chickens in our very tiny backyard….oh and letting the kids decorate their tree house that really isn’t in a tree…

kathleen - the pool, the pool, the pool!! I have a large family like you, and there is nothing better than spending the day at the pool having fun, then coming home to a light yummy dinner (no baths cause goodness you got clean in the pool, right?), everyone’s sunkissed and happily tired. It’s the pool, definitely. I can’t wait!

Jenn Shock - The best part of this coming summer is trying to make baby #2 😉 And this is my last summer break as a college student! I’ll have my degree in Art Education by the end of the year! Woo!

Teresa - The best part about summer is getting up early on a Saturday morning, making a cup of coffee and going to the farmers market to buy local, fresh produce and flowers.

Karen R. - The best part of summer for me is hands down having my kids home and with me every day. I cherish the endless days of time with them and start really longing for that about this time every year!

colleen - The BEACH! We get to go for at least 2 separate weeks! I have to add: farmers market tomatoes, peaches and corn; picking blueberries right off of my bush for breakfast, sunkissed noses on my husband and kids, lemonade stands, smores over the firepit, lots of friends over for dinner, the smell after rain on a hot summer’s day…. it is my FAVORITE season!

Tere - being off work for a good chunk of time, planning our “to do” list with the kids and sleeping in, even if it’s not on the list…..can’t wait to see the magazine

Leigh - home grown tomatoes

Heather R. - Got my “Summer” coming…can’t wait to see it, either. Our girls dyed the eggs at the table inside. Blue got knocked over a couple times. But we are done for a year, too. 🙂 We had Easter ham/hard boiled egg salad…yum!

Jen - BEING TAN! Cook outs, being outside & I get to take high schoolers away to hear all about their Creator! Nothing better. I LOVE SUMMER!

Jodi @ The Un-Soccermom Blog - the best part of summer are lazy saturdays, hanging out by the pool, talking w/ my daughter about her week, about what’s to come, and now more than ever, her future. :o)

Mallory - The best part of summer are the entire days spent at the beach. Oh, and all that delicious summer food!

Ashley Crenshaw - Summer rocks! I love being able to throw my child outside, turn on the sprinklers, sip fresh lemonade, camping in the backyard(!!!), BBQ’s… man if only I could tan. I love summer!

Kristi - I love sitting on my patio and soaking up the sun!

april - The best part of summer is the trips to the beach with my kids…I cant wait!!!
april
xoxo

April - I love taking my kids to the beach. They have such a blast and it creates great summer memories. 🙂

Amber - Warm breezes, slower schedules, soaking in all the warm sunshine, fresh vegetables from the garden and our first big family road trip….to Wisconsin.

erin j - Limeades during Sonic’s happy hour. I’m miles upon miles from a Sonic though so I’m going to have to figure something else out for this year.

Whitney Benson - my hubby is a teacher so the best part is having him home to help w/ our 3 kids!

Michelle - love afternoons by the pool w/ my family to cool off from the hot houston summer.

Katy Stone - sno cones. and homemade ice cream. and swimming until the sun goes down. most of all, doing all of those things w/ the ones you love! 🙂

Melissa Morrill - popsicles on the front porch in the evenings……yum.

Lisa - Is SUNSHINE!!! We have been so beaten with rain and storms, that sunshine is all I can think about! And lots of fun times outside with friends and family! 🙂

Sara W - Afternoons sitting by the pool while my boys swim,family walks in the evening and fresh garden produce.

Jill jackson - Being able to sleep in.

BriBedell - The part of my summer are my teo little ladies birthdays! Ya, planning some big stuff for them already 🙂

mimi b. - lazy mornings, coffee on the porch, my babies sleeping in, scary movie night-EVERY NIGHT YAH!, all the doors open and kids playing ball in the street, laughter wafting in from outside and millions of water balloons popped all over the drive-way and yard. Oh yeah, and sticky popsicles….I can’t wait to have my kids home again ( of course by July, I will be counting the days until school starts ; )

Katie P. - This summer, it will be spending the longer days with my little girl. She will be 1 yr. old in June. She is AHHHH-mazing!! I love being in the yard and weeding- anything. I love all of it really!!

Jessi - Lots of family/pool/beach/ice cream time!

Melissa - Shut the front door!!!!! I won?!?!?! Woo-hoo!!!!! I’m super excited!!!!!
My favorite part of summer is watermelon and hours spent by the pool. Sun-kissed cheeks and flip-flops. Ok, now I’m praying for summer!!

Miss Emily - The best part of summer is melons, pineapple, blueberries, strawberrys, particularly watermelons. giving me shivers now though, here is aus we’re heading back to winter 🙁

stephanie - Sitting on our porch. Watching kids play. Cookouts. VBS. Way too many things to pick just one. : )

Shawna - Best part of summer…kids are more relaxed, no homework!

Krista W. - The very best part of summer is how free we can be! WE have been known to go swimming way past bedtime, or jump in the car for an unexpected vacation, friends dropping by and being able to stay to the wee hours of the night because no one has to go to school in the morning! OR maybe just sleeping in and waking up to a sun kissed house! 🙂
~We LOVE SUMMER~

Michelle - Lazy days and garage sales 🙂

carolyn - warm sunshine! xo

Four Flights - not having to wake up to an alarm clock! and mint lemonade

Tegan M. - Best part of summer is having so much daylight still left when I finally leave work in the evenings. 🙂

Jessica Shibley - I live at a camp and I love it all! Camping, canoeing, crafts…. 🙂

Kelly - As a teacher I used to love the freedom of no schedules that summer brought. Now as a stay at home mama I am looking forward to this summer of moving into our first house and watching my baby boy learn to walk and explore and be able to play in our yard and grilling out in the evenings and enjoying our new sunroom (& I’m hoping to get a hammock!) Kelly

Cori - Lazy hot days where the kids are in and out of the pool all day. I have a book to read and dinner is made at the grill w/ paper everything.Ending w/toasted marshmellows and a hunt for lightning bugs. It doesn’t happen like this all the time but when it does it so good.

Shar - the best part of this summer will be a visit from my daughter and 2 grandsons from Tennessee. They didn’t get to come last year. We will spend fun times at the beach, etc. And, I get to see both of my children together. a rare occurence for us.
And, i really love that the traffic is lighter for driving to work each day. i know, boring, but time is precious!

Jenny Joy - The best part of summer is a warm, lazy evening catching fireflies in a mason jar… and then promptly releasing them all at once so the air is filled with sparkly lights. I <3 summer!

happygirl - Best part of summer – NO SCHOOL. I work at a college and there are NO STUDENTS around to use the gym equipment, pool, live in the dorm rooms over my office, take my parking spot illegally. I LOVE SUMMER!!

Stacy - I love having my son home from school. Lazy summer days, homemade ice cream, fire works, grilling, sorry but I could go on and on. This summer we will be adding to our family so that will be very exciting. Our little girl is due in August.

debbie - No schedules, zinnias and flip-flops!

Rebecca - Meg- There is a recipe I LOVE that calls for hard boiled eggs (only 2 but hey, it’s a start!) it’s Paula Dean’s chicken pot pie recipe
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/hurry-up-chicken-pot-pie-recipe/index.html
I think your family would love it, since we love all your recipes so much!!!!
Have a great day!
Love you to pieces!
Rebecca

Debbie Smallie - Everything! My husband and I are both home all summer with our four kids and we are schedule free!

elma - The best part of summer is spending time with my sweet babies and just taking it easy and no rushing:) I just love staying home and enjoying life with the littles:)

julie - Today, as I am home with a sick kid, I am longing for warmer days to throw all the windows open and let the fresh summer breeze blow all the stinky germs away. Unless, of course, the wind is blowing just right….err, wrong….and the stank of the pig farm down the road fills my home. Then, I would have to say burying my head in my vintage floral sheets freshly dried in the sunshine. Mmmmmm!

mel - this year the best part of my summer will be when we go to the coast with my husband’s family. his parents rented a beach house for the week in south padre. can’t wait to play in the water, relax on the beach and collect sea shells!

Tammy - enjoying schedule free days! with 4 kids, those are hard to come by during the year!

FeFe - The best part of summer is the fact that me kids are home everyday! We’re free from the bondage of the school schedule!!!

Betsy - No schedule! Lazy days or adventurous days depending only on our morning mood.

Amber P - I live in northeast Ohio where we have on average 52 sunny days a year, so the best thing about summer for me is SUNSHINE! And I love summer clothes and gardening!

Liz @ Perfect Chaos - The best part of summer is sleeping in and not having a schedule. Love it!

Dana @ Bungalow'56 - Best part of summer? Sangria : )
Dana

Alisa - Since I am a teacher, it is definitely the “NO SCHOOL” factor!

Bernice - The best part of my summer? Lazy summer days when all my stresses and worries can just blow away in the warm breeze.

Shanda - It’s been a long winter in Wisconsin. My favorite part of the summer is flip flops. No more coats, snow pants, boots, hats and mittens.

Jennifer O'Steen - I didn’t realize until after a very long winter what my favorite part of summer is. i absolutely LOVE when everything outside around me is green! Green trees mean cookouts, pool time, fireflies, and happy people 🙂

Erin - Getting to spend 3 months with my girls. No work, all play!

alyssa - flowers, grilling, being outside, fruit salad, flip flops!

sarah - best part of summer is being outside, naps in the shade, riding my bright orange vespa, and fun trips!!

Katie g - Grilling out, going to the park with the kids, and taking walks after dinner!

Stephanie - I am a teacher, so the best part of summer for me is that I am home and on vacation with my kids all summer! I am genuinely as excited as they are to be home and have them home! No schedules, no stress just relaxed family time:)

Hannah DeVries - A break from teaching! 🙂

Sharla - Oh wow, the pictures look amazing. My favorite part of summer is heading to the pool with the family when I get off of work!

jill - The best part of summer is having my husband home with the boys and I. Two whole months of FAMILY!

Jennifer - Long days are the best part of my summer. More time to spend outside playing with my dirty, sweaty kids! 🙂

Lydia - The best part of summer is spending all day in a canoe with my very “tan-able” husband while I slather on the whole bottle of sunblock to keep from looking like a lobster!! 🙂

Nichole R - I love the lazy summer days with my kids!
Lunch on the grass, bike riding, water balloons, Popsicles!
Ahhh! I can’t wait for the sunshine!! Bring it on!!

Megan - Just the possibility to do something or nothing…..and eating breakfast on the back patio before the kids wake up, just me and the sounds of the neighborhood.

jessica guidi - The Swarms of Dragonfly fluttering above our pool, the fire pit making smores with the kids both young and old,old time amusement park at the boardwalk, and free summer movies outside at the lake. Water balloon fights, surfing, sleeping in, staying up late, drive in movies, Britt’s Doughnuts and letting my girls enjoy having a true childhood.

MaryLea @ pink and green mama - Holy Cow!!! That’s awesome Meg — you’re a decorating rock star and I always make my hubby look at cute pictures of your house (on your blog, don’t worry, we’re not stalking you….yet!)
Summer plans = gardening, hammock time, playing with the girls outside, three weddings, and a much anticipated trip to the beach the last week of summer.

Allison - The best part of my summer is always getting outside, whether I’m hiking, gardening, or just lying around. I love the hot weather, especially now that I’ve moved to Colorado and it’s hot and dry.

Lindsey@ Piecefully Home - um, that’s hard. i don’t like summer. (y’all can stop throwing your flip flops and beach towels at me) the mosquitoes are brutal, the humidity and 100+ heat is a killer, the worry of copperheads where we live intensifies. we do year round schools so my kids are in school during the summer. so i guess the best part of summer is knowing fall is around the corner. 🙂 but i still really would love to win the magazine!

Sarah Osborn - I love spending more time as a family…going to the pool with my kids, more time in the evening to do family things, vacation…..

Maria - After all the rain we’ve had…it will be spending many hours just enjoying the SUN!

Whitney S - Sunshine, lazy weekends and a general feeling of being relaxed. Oh- and my favorite- swimming! (Plus my wedding is this summer, so even more to be excited about!)

Trista - No homework, and family time outside in the evening almost every night.

rkokes - grilling out and playing with the kids outside!

Ann Griffin - The best part about summer is spending all day outside with my 2 year old – blowing bubbles, swimming, taking naps in the hammock

ashley jensen - Grilling out and eating on our back porch, half naked toddler running through the sprinkler, teaching our daughter how to swim in the river, Big Splash (water park), laying on a blanket in our back yard just hanging out.

Jessica - The best part for me is being able to relax on the back porch reading a book, walking barefoot in the grass, and my husband grilling!

Kate - Homemade salsa! (Just one of the many things I love about my favorite season)

Jules - Aww..that’s a hard one…I love summer…would have to say the no-schedule-ness and the warmth of the SUN! and flowers! And flip flops…corn on the cob! my patio! camping!

Sandy - Being outside in the beautiful sunshine!

Tracy - Staying up late!

Janelle - Oh…would love a copy. I actually love my boys baseball games…sitting on the sidelines with my little girls…having drinks and snacks…and then bringing them all home dirty and tired and getting them smelling good before reading books and going to bed 🙂

Lee Ann - The best part is LESS rain and MORE sunshine here in the PNW. We’re so tired of rain!
And I wondered if you could die brown eggs. I haven’t bought eggs in 9 months because we have chickens – which lay all brown eggs. So I bought white ones to die 🙂

JulianneB - Sleeping in and the taking naps by the pool and then everyone falling asleep early after swimming….notice the theme…I think I need to catch up on my rest

Christine - Back porch grilling, front porch snoozing, fresh veggies straight from the garden, and going to the beach. This year will be the first year our adopted son and our first biological son will go to the beach. I absolutely CANNOT wait!

Alissa - So many things! But most of all being outside with the kids, wearing flip flops, and hanging out on the sandbar by the river:))

Catriona - Long, warm, sunny days giving you extra energy for summer holiday fun: picnics, berry-picking, paddling in rivers, chalk pictures on the ground. And I wouldn’t say no to a glass of chilled Rosé at the end of it, either…

Anna Marie - Getting to spend time with my daughter outside in the sun! But this year the best is going to be our new baby girl joining us at the beginning of June. Yay!!!

Chaos-Jamie - Lazy evenings on the back porch….ahhhh, summer….

Julie K - The best part of our summer? Hands down the beach, camping, and no structure!! Would love to see your spread!

Necole - Best part of my summer is going to my parents house with the kids. We love getting to be on the lake?

Laura - The best part of summer is finding a place to curl up outside, with toes in the sun and a breeze to keep you cool. Cloud shapes, lightning bugs, and long days are the best.

Lindsay - Sooooo many great things I love about summer. I’ll go with spending time outdoors because many of the things I love to do are done outdoors! Thanks for the chance to win! 🙂

Christy Mandin - Grilling out in the backyard garden while the kids play in the water. It has taken over this year. But, perhaps the 44 heirloom tomato plants will provide some shade! Haha!

Trish - best part of summer… are the lazy days, and the warm breeze off of the lake.

Stephanie A. - spending time with my kids…….camping, visiting zoo’s, laying in the green grass, blowing bubbles, trips to the library, bike rides, sidewalk chalk art and the warm summer breeze 🙂

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winner & eggs & SUMMER

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