Life as Mrs. Emerson

Earlier in June we embarked on a new adventure.  TENT CAMPING!   Two summers ago we enjoyed a wonderful time camping in a borrowed pop-up camper but this was our first experience sleeping in a tent as a family.  We loaded up our very full van and headed to Land Between the Lakes in Western Kentucky for a new adventure.  It was wonderful.   One of the neatest aspects of our trip was the fact that Nina & Poppy Steve (Brandon's parents) were able to meet up with us!  (They live a good 10 hours away from us so this was a real treat.)  We had so much spending time with them.  We stayed at  Hillman Ferry Campground  and I would definitely stay there again.   Hillman Ferry Campground has a lovely beach with an area roped off for swimming.  The kids enjoyed playing in the sand and I even took them swimming in the lake.  I have been swimming many times in a lake but I think this was my children's first rea...

Ahh summer!  It's the most wonderful time of the year!  It's also the most expensive time of the year (well aside from December).  In an attempt to save more money this summer I'm going to resume the Frugal Things posts.  Here's what we did this past week to have fun and save money: On Monday we stayed home all day and simply had the best time.  We played outside for hours, read stories together, and just really enjoyed being at home together.  I think it can be easy to think that in order to have a great summer we must be going somewhere each and every day.  Some of the best memories from my childhood involve days spent entirely at home. We enjoyed a fantastic time at the zoo with friends.  I am so thankful for our zoo pass which we make good use out of.  We packed our own food and drinks. The happy hubby and I finally flipped the mattress on our king bed.  When we purchased our mattress we made sure to buy one that could be "f...

A few of our library finds from last week.   It feels as though the final days of summer are upon us as everyone prepares to start school in the next week or so.  We have been busy, busy and I will confess that it has impacted our frugality to some extent.  I am hoping to buckle down and really get back to the business of saving money and enjoying life with my family this week.  Here are a few of the frugal things that we did last week to save money:  My son cut zinnias from our yard which were absolutely beautiful.  They are called Hot-Crayon Zinnias from Renee's Garden Seed and I am in love with them!  The fact that my five year old son cut them and brought them to me made it even better. Eli had a blast attending his second and final week of swim lessons last week.  I am so thankful that we were able to find affordable swim lessons this summer.  Eli had an absolute blast and I am thankful that he is learning such important, life s...

On Monday Elijah started taking swim lessons at a local high school.  They are actually much cheaper than taking lessons through our gym where we have a membership.  I like the fact that they are everyday for two weeks instead of once a week for two months.  They are also an hour long instead of a half-hour.  I am interested to see if Eli will progress more quickly by swimming every day.  So far Eli is doing great and having a blast!  My youngest sister is also taking advanced swim lessons so my mom and I are taking turns taking the kids to their lessons.  On Tuesday we enjoyed a fun Emerson Family tradition where we dressed like a cow for Chick-Fil-A Day.  If you’ve never participated in the past then you need to mark your calendars now for next year because it seriously is an absolute blast.  Each person who is dressed in full cow attire is rewarded with a value meal or kid’s meal of their choice.  Not only did we enjoy the fr...

When I turned the page to mark the beginning of a new month in my planner I almost panicked when I realized it was July!  How can summer past by so fast?   I'm hoping to write a couple of posts in reference to my goals for the second part of summer.   Today's post includes my summer reading goals.  Here are the books I hope to finish by summer's end.  To see books I have already read this summer visit here .   The Blender Girl Smoothies by Tess Masters A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola Women Living Well by Courtney Joseph Love Idol by Jennifer Dukes Lee Talent to Treasure by Marcia K. Washburn The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo Managers of Their Home by Steven & Teri Maxwell What about you?  What are you reading this summer?  Have you read any of the books on my summer reading list?