Mid-August, I find myself in transition:  back to school, but not ready to go there quite yet.  And apparently, I’m not the only one.  Today, I overheard another woman saying, “I had all these things that I wanted to get done this summer and I didn’t get to them all; I need more time.”

Well, we’ve got one week left and I’ve decided that I am going to embrace the rest of August with something new or wonderful every day, and it doesn’t have to be big.  So here’s my list of top things I appreciate about August that may not be an option next month.  So when your transition out of summer is getting you down, pick something from this list to do that may just lift your spirits:

1) Pick a peach and have a juicy summer snack.  My son and his grandma when to a pick-your-own orchard today and brought back a ton for me to taste.

2) Go visit some milkweed.  Head to the nursery and ask where the milkweed is.  You may love it so much that you’ll want to plant some.  And milkweed is the only plant monarch caterpillars eat (any variety will do), so you’ll help provide a habitat for monarch butterflies.  Two weeks ago, we found three monarch caterpillars in our butterfly weed (asclepias tuberosa) in the garden, and one just created its chrysalis!  The monarch butterfly lifecycle is one of our favorite wonders of nature to see as a family right in our yard. Nurseries likely won’t have milkweed in spring (since it blooms late summer), so if you like it, get some now!

3) Speaking of harvesting veggies, find a fresh tomato.  If you don’t have one, head to your friend’s garden or farmer’s market.  I just put a bright red slice of beef steak tomato on my chicken sandwich (with lead spinach, black olives, and goat cheese) for lunch. Heaven!

4) Put some annual black and blue salvia in a container.  Combined with annual cleome and perennial rudbeckia, they create a delightful blue, pink, and yellow summer container to look at from a window.  The black and blue salvia attracts hummingbirds, and I’ve had a pair visiting several times every day.  It’s so exciting to watch them come and go.

5) Find a local swimming hole.  That’s on my list for one afternoon with the kids.  I found one last year that was noted as kid-friendly and shallow, and we had a grand time.  No time to drive to a swimming hole? Of course, you can always dance in the rain.

Now you share and inspire us!  What do you love about August where you live?

Rebecca P. Cohen is a gardening and outdoor lifestyle expert and host of Get Out of the House, vignettes that show fun ideas for family time outside and reach 23 million households on Resort and Residence TV. She is also author of the upcoming book, 15 Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect with Your Kids (March 2011, Sourcebooks).  The daughter of educators, Rebecca left the corporate world after 15 years to teach families gardening and equip them with fun outdoor ideas that keep them healthy and connected year-round.  Rebecca’s work was recently featured in the April 2010 edition of Family Circle magazine and on Rachael Ray’s website,Yum-o!, for her Earth Day event with 1,000 elementary school students.  Rebecca is also Spokesmom for the National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There movement. For more information, visit RebeccaPlants.com.

Last summer, Rebecca Plants had a fabulous guest blogger, Starla J. King, who reminded us to savor every day of summer.  This summer, on the surface, has been full of lots of cool stuff:  writing a book, traveling with my family, and visiting dear family and friends.  But, every day has had some angst outside my comfort zone: will I make it through the argument my kids are having?; will I close the deal?; will I make the deadline?; what language do I speak when I don’t speak the language to ask a question?  And as I reach a critical book deadline tomorrow while my kids are running around the house, I want to stop and say thank you for the two fabulous hours last night that I had with my kids outside.

My older son has been anti-pool, anti-slip ‘n side, anti-sprinkler this summer.  Really, what’s not to like, especially when it’s 92 degrees and humid?  Thanks to a friend who was over yesterday, we outnumbered him three to 1: we were going to the pool.

“Let’s ride bikes!” my younger son said as we headed out the door. “Yeah!” all three boys shouted. Hey, I was game, and their enthusiasm was getting better by the minute.  I made sure to bring a water bottle and instead of bringing a backpack, I reused the little bag from a Subway meal with my pool passes and a bag of goldfish crackers for a snack and hung it on my bike handle.  I skipped the towels - we were riding our bikes, so we’d air-dry on the way home.

Our bikes created a fabulous breeze that made the humidity disappear, and 20 minutes later, we were at the pool.  I got right in with the kids - it was hot, I had been working all day, and I wanted to play.  We ran races in waist-high water from one side of the pool to the other - the normally poker-faced lifeguard even smiled at how much fun we were having.  Then, the kids wanted to play freeze tag and we ran around in the waist-high water again; another child joined in the fun too.

Two breaks later, it was time to head back for dinner, but the kids asked first if they could go to the playground across the street.  “Of course!” I replied.  We were all getting exercise (without even realizing it) and happy, so I gave them another fifteen minutes to play.

I even snuck in a few minutes on the swing, happy to play like a child again.

Then we headed back to the house, a 20-minute ride up a gradual incline, reminiscing about when my younger son used to have to walk part of the way last year, and celebrating that he can now make it all the way without stopping.

Because of the time I connected yesterday with my kids outside, I am able to make it through the next series of hurdles today grounded, a little more light hearted, and with faith that I am doing the right thing in my work and in my own time getting outside with my kids every day.

So head outside, splash in a fountain, head to an outdoor cafe for a breeze in the shade, take a dip in the pool tonight with your family and watch the sunset.  I bet you’ll find that it makes the rest of your day a little easier too.

Rebecca P. Cohen is a gardening and outdoor lifestyle expert and host of Get Out of the House, vignettes that show fun ideas for family time outside and reach 23 million households on Resort and Residence TV. She is also author of the upcoming book, 15 Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Your Kid Off the Couch and Spend Time Together (March 2011, Sourcebooks).  The daughter of educators, Rebecca left the corporate world after 15 years to teach families gardening and equip them with fun outdoor ideas that keep them healthy and connected year-round.  Rebecca’s work was recently featured in the April 2010 edition of Family Circle magazine and on Rachael Ray’s website,Yum-o!, for her Earth Day event with 1,000 elementary school students.  Rebecca is also Spokesmom for the National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There movement. For more information, visit RebeccaPlants.com.

I don’t know what I was thinking. I didn’t get to my daily yoga practice this morning, so I jaunted outside in the afternoon sun (in apparently ‘feels like 94 degrees’ heat) and started my poses.  What felt like 30 minutes later, I rolled up my mat and went inside because I was too hot.  What I found was that I had only been outside ten minutes.  Hats off to those who practice Bikram Yoga.

Find a shady path

I needed to find something else to do that was not only active, but made me feel relaxed.  Oh, and I wanted to be outside. Not only had been working inside all day, I found out this morning that I am allergic to things inside: dust mites and my dog, so I needed some fresh air.

Quickly, I thought of my bike and a path I’ve been to many times when I need a break and nothing else seems to help (it works for my family too).  I got a water bottle, put on my tennis shoes and helmet and took off.

Biking away from the house, I suddenly had some compassion for myself. I was able to mentally take a step back from my lately frantic pace and have a broader view, realizing that by having more time with the kids this summer (a goal of mine since leaving the corporate world), I had not preserved the time for me that I rely on to keep me grounded and calm.  Additionally, the kids have been outside all day at camp while I’ve been inside working; when they get home and I am ready to go out, then are ready to come inside - quite a change from our usual school year routine.

Sure enough, during my bike ride, I created a fabulous breeze, and was apparently working off some calories since my heart was pumping when I got home.  But a weight was off my shoulders, and I could see clearly and calmly into my goals for the rest of the day.

Swallowtail on native monarda fistulosa

So whatever your summer is like, give yourself a break.  Find a favorite path; take a moment to stop and look around; cool off in the shade.  Notice the butterflies that are enjoying flowers in the hot weather.  Ask yourself one of my Curiosity Card questions, “What would you like to do more of every day?” and see if you can do one thing to bring your dream closer to reality.

P.S.  Check out the amazing pictures from my friend Starla J. King’s similar break outside today!

How family and the outdoors helped us survive our 2000-mile road trip

Family Fun at the Reception

It started with an invitation to a family wedding in Iowa City, Iowa.  Feeling scarred by unairconditioned summer road trips as a kid to the Midwest to see family (sorry mom and dad), my first option for years has been to take an airplane anywhere.  This year, airline tickets to Iowa City from D.C. were out of the question, but going to the wedding of my dear cousin Kiera was always “absolutely yes” - there was no way I would miss it.

Pulling out the kid’s U.S. map used two years prior to outline a cross-country RV trip with my friend Janelle and our five kids (and three-legged dog, but that’s another story), I scanned the map with my boys, now six (just yesterday) and eight years old.

Maybe I just needed to think of a road trip as a fun adventure, I thought.

I asked the boys, “If we drove to Iowa, what would you want to see along the way?”

“Cousins!” they replied.

My sisters do not yet have kids, so my cousins’ children are my sons’ cousins: 10+ on both sides of the family, and our rare visits with them have been wonderful.

Listening to my children’s heart-felt request for quality time with family was key to planning.

A rest stop garden

My mom offered to go on the adventure with me since my husband, Bret, didn’t have time off from work to join us.  We routed our trip by the gracious hospitality of family in Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Indiana, and then stayed solo in Ohio and Pennsylvania on the way back to Virginia.

We would take two days to get to Iowa for several days of family celebrations, wedding and otherwise, and then take four days to travel back.  On my wish list was riding bikes, berry picking, and swim lakes.

What we received was so much more.  I have a tradition of listing the “Top 10″ at the conclusion of a vacation, and I thought I would share them with you:

1. Family.  When we see our aunts, uncles, and cousins, there is a warmth about our time together, and the kids always have a blast.  The park and Curiosity Cards with cousins in Kentucky, roasting s’mores in Illinois, soccer and hide ‘n seek in Iowa and a backyard camp out in Wisconsin with my sister Lisa were wonderful treats.
2. The Indiana Dunes on the shores of Lake Michigan.  We had a wonderful sunset picnic followed by a beach day and dune climbing on Mt. Baldy.  All were brilliant suggestions from my Uncle Denny and Aunt Kieran.
3. Hunting through milkweed to find a monarch butterfly caterpillar and looking at thousands of fossils in Fossil Gorge at Coralville Lake, Iowa, a local trip suggested by my sister.
   

   Monarch caterpillar on milkweed

4. Riding bikes through the University of Iowa campus and to breakfast in Madison, Wisconsin.  We passed beautiful community gardens on a bike path through town.
5. Picking blueberries in Plymouth, Indiana at the Pickin’ Patch and a lakeview dinner and ice cream in Winona, thanks to ignoring the GPS and heading 30E instead of taking the major highways.
6. A game of football with my eight year-old at the Pro-Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.  Not planned, we saw the sign and I knew it would be a highlight for my older son, which it was.
7. Bouncing on a pogo stick thanks to a gracious neighbor of my Uncle Rich’s who saw me playing outside with my older son when he said he was bored.  We also asked a neighboring family to pump up a flat soccer ball for us which they not only did, but also offered use of their basketball hoop.
8. My ‘magic bag’ that I carried with us everywhere, containing a bouncy ball, soccer ball, Aerobie Flyer, bubbles, Curiosity Cards, and a soft baseball bat and ball that provided fun anytime my kids or other’s kids needed something to do.
9. Rest stops with open fields.  Perfect for playing tag, when we needed a bathroom break we could stop and get out our wiggles at the same time.  Races across open spaces are also a perfect game when you’re on the go.  My kids kept re-running their races and asking me to time them.
   

   Sunset at Indiana Dunes

10. That we actually did it and had a good time! Indeed, the inevitable time in the car was difficult.  Frequent stops, Curiosity Cards, MadLibs (thanks to my mom), DVDs, and smaller highways with beautiful scenery got us through the long hours together in the car.  Having my mom on the trip was a godsend.  Her calming influence kept me sane when I wasn’t sure if I could.

As you can see by the list, most of what we treasured were things that we did not plan, but occurred as a result of saying what was important to us in the beginning and planning only what we needed to have places to stay and people we wanted to see.  As a mom, the ‘magic bag’ was key.  But, we were also willing to take lots of risks along the way, with a looser schedule so we could stop during our days on the road.

Our trip highlights were things that you can do without having to travel far.  So I invite you to ask yourself as I will, how can you make your next week an adventure close to home?

You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to

enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a

finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the

world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.

- Woodrow Wilson

Improve your well-being

Over time, we change, and we refine our vision for our life as we evolve and come to understand ourselves. But, what I’ve found with my plan for my life is that the core of the positive impact I want to have on others stays the same.  I still want to inspire people to take action to improve their well-being and the well-being of their families.  As I finish my manuscript for my book due out next spring, I check in on my vision: what’s next?

Pursue your dreams

Live your best life

In addition to my school events program (Vote after July 1st on www.refresheverything.com), I’m ready to help others pursue their dreams with a TV show called Wish It, Dream It, Do It. My show has interviews with people who are living their best lives and how they maintain their best lives every day, help from experts to start you on your journey to living your best life, and surprise visits to viewers to help get them back on track.  I’ve already gotten a thumbs up from their Casting Director.  Now tell Oprah that you want a show to help you make your dreams come true:  vote now.

Don’t forget!  Saturday, June 26th is the Great American Backyard Campout.  What is that?  First of all, it’s super easy and fun as a family because you set up a tent in your backyard and have a campout.  Of course, you can gather in another family’s backyard or sign up with a group to share your first camping experience at a local park. The best part of all is you make memories as a family close to home.

Last June, I invited my girlfriends and their kids for a “Moms and Kids Only” backyard camp out; just take a look at how much fun we had!

And did you know? Saturday, June 12th is National Get Outdoors Day, and June is National Get Outdoors Month.  Here are some more simple ideas for how to get outside and spend meaningful time together as a family:

Secretly, I partially enjoyed it. Outwardly, I was scolding my kids, and it was all my fault:  I got way too uptight about my fears.

Our adventure was completely spontaneous. We started out on a walk with the dog and the kids rode their bikes beside me.  We took a new path carved in the woods, and the newly laid woodchips underfoot stopped 20 feet into our walk and turned to compacted dirt.  So, the kids got off their bikes and we collectively decided to continue.  The dirt path continued 100 feet, crossing a pristine creek under tall trees and low-growing bright green grass.  The surroundings were beautiful.

And then the kids ran ahead up a hill and into a field.  I followed, but they were barely within shouting distance by the time I could see them again, and then, the surroundings were completely different.

The tall grass was waist high. “Tick grass,” I thought. Our neighbors’ children call tall grass “tick grass,” careful not to go in tall grass because they may be easier targets for the nasty critters.

Last year, my boys led me on a similar adventure through the woods and the only way to get back home was through a field of tall grass. Back then, I was more worried about snakes for some reason; I just hurried us all along playfully and prayed that we all made it through without any snake encounters or ticks bites.  I didn’t let my fears ruin our adventure.

This time, I blew it. The first thing I shouted was, “A thorough tick check when we get home!!!!”  Then, I barely enjoyed myself as I thought about how many ticks were going to be on us.

The kids stopped at a waist-high construction fence and waited for me.  “Why don’t we go back the way we came?” said my eight year old.

Back to the ticks? No way. “Let’s go over the fence, I’ll help you,” I said.  So we did.  How could it be worse?

50 yards of trekking through mud: deep, squishy, can barely walk, may fall over, cover your shoes mud, we were back on the road.  My beautiful outdoor shoes finally looked like they had been outside, and I didn’t like it.  No one said anything on the way home; the air was tense with my frustration.

I completely succeeded in turning an opportunity for adventure and fun into a memory I’d rather forget by focusing on my fears.

“Tick check!” my kids yelled when we got back to the house.  Ticks?  Nope. Still scared of ticks?  Yep. Still scared of snakes? Yep.

Next time, I’ll reserve feeling scared for when I actually see a tick or snake, instead of letting my fears ruin our fun.  And, I’ve started wondering if fear has been keeping me from enjoying other things in life too…

Rebecca P. Cohen is a gardening and outdoor lifestyle expert and host of Get Out of the House, vignettes that show fun ideas for family time outside and reach 46 million households on Resort and Residence TV. She is also author of the upcoming book, 365 Days Outside:  A Mother’s Journey to Improve the Well-being of Her Family (March 2011, Sourcebooks).  The daughter of educators, Rebecca left the corporate world after 15 years to teach families gardening and equip them with fun outdoor ideas that keep them healthy and connected year-round.  Rebecca’s work was recently featured in the April 2010 edition of Family Circle magazine and on Rachael Ray’s website, Yum-o!, for her Earth Day event with 1,000 elementary school students.  Rebecca has extensive TV experience, including over a dozen live, how-to segments in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Denver, Houston, and Baltimore.  For more information, visit RebeccaPlants.com.

On my radio show last week (listen now On Demand), we talked about Getting Started in the Garden.  You know the garden you’ve dreamed of - maybe you and your family have drawn it on paper with pencils and crayons (so fun to do by the way) - now you just need to pick a small place to start and do it.  That’s exactly what I did with a small entry way in Pennsylvania last weekend:

1) Three flats (each with 10 quart-sized perennials) for $90 from Lowes:  dark-leafed hecheura/coral bells, white salvia, and yellow coreopsis.  All deer resistant; all okay in 4-6 hours of sun a day (part sun), and long-blooming flowers that attract butterflies: all requirements of mine.

2) 15 irregular stepping stones I hand picked from my local stone center for $90

3) 10 bags of top soil and 3 bags of mulch

4) One day of exercise removing grass with the flat side of a pick ax for 3 new beds, hydrating frequently with 1 gallon of water (I didn’t even bother with a glass)

5) A second day of laying topsoil in beds (mixing old and new soil), planting, watering, mulching, then watering again

And voila!  Something beautiful for me and every visitor to see when then come to the house.

Perennial entry ways are one of my favorite things to do.  At first, all your hard work can look so small.  But remember, the first year, a garden sleeps; the second year, it creeps; the third year, it leaps!

From my perspective, if you’re going to bother to dig a hole, dig it once and put in a hardy perennial that blooms every year.  What a great investment!

What’s the best way to get started in the garden?  Get my trio of gardening guides to the easiest perennials and vegetables to grow as well as the basics of landscape design.  Full of helpful photos as well as tips for layout, planting, and care, it’s like having your own garden designer at a fraction of the cost.

Happy Gardening!

Rebecca P. Cohen is a gardening and outdoor lifestyle expert and host of Get Out of the House, vignettes that show fun ideas for family time outside and reach 46 million households on Resort and Residence TV. She is also author of the upcoming book, 365 Days Outside:  A Mother’s Journey to Improve the Well-being of Her Family (March 2011, Sourcebooks).  The daughter of educators, Rebecca left the corporate world after 15 years to teach families gardening and equip them with fun outdoor ideas that keep them healthy and connected year-round.  Rebecca’s work was recently featured in the April 2010 edition of Family Circle magazine and on Rachael Ray’s website, Yum-o!, for her Earth Day event with 1,000 elementary school students.  Rebecca has extensive TV experience, including over a dozen live, how-to segments in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Denver, Houston, and Baltimore.  For more information, visit RebeccaPlants.com.

Spring Lesson #1:  Kids desperately want to plant.  Give them the opportunity.

Last week, I had an incredible Earth Day experience at Timber Ridge Middle School, thanks to Principal Dave Bendis and the enthusiasm of his staff and students.  Every 15 minutes, from 7:30a.m. to 2:30p.m., I taught 30-40 6th, 7th, and 8th graders how to plant peas in cups and care for them at home.  For many, it was the first time they planted anything.  Watch the amazing video of the event.  The students and teachers were energized by learning a new skill that influences their healthy habits at home.

Spring Lesson #2:  Ask for help.  People want to help.

Because I had such a positive experience working with an entire school in one day (it was a marathon, but the kind *I* can do), I am craving to do it again.  35 times over the next school year to be exact, and I am inviting sponsors to fund the program.  If you know a person, a company, or a foundation that wants to help schools and equip 35,000 students with a new skill that promotes health and wellness, contact me.

Spring Lesson #3:  To quote Lori, “The expert in anything was once a beginner.”

I have always believed that anything is easier with the help and experience of others.  So, if you’re new to gardening or just want to be more successful at it and don’t know how, listen LIVE or after to my monthly radio show, Get Out of the House, on BlogTalkRadio (next show, Getting Started in the Garden, is Thursday, 4/29 at 10:30.am.EST).  You won’t get hands-on instruction like the students in my schools program will, but it’s pretty close.

Spring Lesson #4:  When life (or in this case, the weather) gives you lemons, make lemonade

Earth Day weather:  perfect.  Monday evening with my kids: downpour.  This morning: 40 with wind gusts of 30mph.  Monday evening, I got caught in a major rain shower with my kids walking them home.  We were so wet, we looked like we stood by a flume ride at an amusement park (yeah, mom didn’t bring an umbrella because it wasn’t raining when she left the house).  So we explored 45 minutes more in the rain, finding the source of a nearby creek and a beautiful painted box turtle (thanks to great noticing by my five year old). And in today’s chill that made my hands freeze, I put on my Woolrich Pepper Pikes Jacket and my Carve Designs Paper Boy Cap, plugged in my headphones to some tunes, and took my dog for a brisk walk.  And when I returned to the office, I was warm, cozy, and energized for the day.

Spring Lesson #5:  Any day in any season teaches us something

Looking around in today’s chilly weather, there were plenty of things in nature just right:  my pea plants and lettuce looked very happy, so did my native fringe tree and perennial geraniums that just bloomed. Bleeding heart? Lenten Rose? Yep, happy.  Pepper plant and herbs that I forgot to bring inside last night?  Just fine. The inconvenient chill to me is temporary.  Nature needs its seasons and rainy and cold blustery days for its gradual and beautiful changes.  No matter the weather, get out and experience it.

Rebecca P. Cohen is a gardening and outdoor lifestyle expert and host of Get Out of the House, vignettes that show fun ideas for family time outside and reach 46 million households on Resort and Residence TV. She is also author of the upcoming book, 365 Days Outside:  A Mother’s Journey to Improve the Well-being of Her Family (March 2011, Sourcebooks).  The daughter of educators, Rebecca left the corporate world after 15 years to teach families gardening and equip them with fun outdoor ideas that keep them healthy and connected year-round.  Rebecca’s work was recently featured in the April 2010 edition of Family Circle magazine and on Rachael Ray’s website, Yum-o!, for her Earth Day event with 1,000 elementary school students.  Rebecca has extensive TV experience, including over a dozen live, how-to segments in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Denver, Houston, and Baltimore.  For more information, visit RebeccaPlants.com.

Get out of the house and create memorable moments with your children!

Time outside energizes us and transforms our lives for the better. Quality time outside with our children creates a priceless bond and beautiful memories.

On Earth Day 2010, give your celebration a new twist: renew your commitment to your family’s health and well-being by getting active with your kids outside…and celebrate Earth Day everyday!

On April 22^nd, Rebecca P. Cohen, host of Get Out of the House^TM is teaming up with Timber Ridge Middle School in Plainfield, Illinois. All 1,100 students will participate in the annual ‘Wolf Run’ to promote physical activity outdoors. Students and parents will plant a sweet pea garden and will start celebrating Earth Day with a new twist: creating a stronger connection to family and healthy living.

You can participate in this important campaign at your own school or in your own home.  Depending on the space you have available, you can:

• Plant four pea seeds in a container with a 3-4′ stake (for support as the plants grow)

• Plant the peas around three stakes in the ground to make a tee pee (secured in holes the ground and up top with twine)

• Have each child plant a pea seed in a cup to sprout in class on a sunny windowsill (keep soil consistently moist)

For even more ideas to bond with nature and your family, check out Rebecca’s easy-to-follow activity guides, from the basics of vegetable and flower gardening to 50 outdoor activities for families and portable conversation cards for families.

Learn more about how you can foster stronger connections with your children and create a world of wonderful moments outside, in nature! Seeds of Change has donated 3,500 pea seeds for this event; Home Depot has donated soil; KleenSlate Concepts has donated dry erase paddles for the outdoor lesson.  To find out more about how you can partner with Rebecca Plants for community events, contact us at www.RebeccaPlants.com

Rebecca P. Cohen is the author of the upcoming book, 365 Days Outside: A Mother’s Journey to Improve the Well-being of Her Family and Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to spend more time outside together. Rebecca is also creator and producer of the television series, Get Out of the House, inspiring you to create memorable moments outside every day. Join Rebecca and other parents around the country as they Plant Peas for Earth Day. To learn more, visit http://www.rebeccaplants.com.