If you’re feeling a little like your brain is broken, or maybe you just have spring fever or maybe both (that would be me), you might be looking for ways to spend more time outside right now. The kids are getting restless (that also goes for the big kids!) as the weather warms up. This week I’m sharing ideas for spending more time outdoors as well as a few ways to be inspired by the outdoors if you are stuck inside with rainy or cold weather.

We’re spotting plenty of cute, feathered bird pairs around our garden which means the couples are pairing up and ready to do some house shopping. In the garden section this week, I’ve got some ideas on how to attract birds to your garden with the type of food you offer, as well as building birdhouses that could be homes to some pretty cute little chicks in the coming weeks.

*If you see an asterisk next to a link, it links to a video with sound. Just a heads up in case you need to turn the volume down or pop on your headphones.

HOME

Soon enough I’ll be bringing in all the bounty from the garden to get creative in the kitchen, but for now, easy and healthy is the name of the game so that I can spend more time outdoors.

Last week I listened to the Lazy Genius Podcast episode on 7 Way to Get Out of a Dinner Rut for the time we’re in right now. Kendra compared it to “coloring with broken crayons” and how it is difficult to be creative in times of stress or overwhelm. I can relate.

Take it easy on yourself. Start with small and simple steps. Set things out on the counter to give yourself a head start closer to dinner time when your energy might be low.

Sheet Pan Meal Ideas

Sheet Pan Brunch for Supper

Pantry Staples Paired with Mesa de Vida Simmer Sauce Recipes or Caribbean Recipes with Mesa de Vida Simmer Sauces - Enter the code SOMMER52 at checkout to get 10% off your simmer sauces

Or, just support a local restaurant for some take out and call it a day (they could use the business right now!)

Do you have a simple meal for spring that you love? Please share it in the comment section below.

GARDEN

We had a weekend of gorgeous weather, and we spent almost the whole weekend in the yard working on the garden. My husband was kind enough to build me some chicken wire trellises for the back of the garden beds as well as a couple of birdhouses.

If our yard is any indication, the bird couples are busy looking for houses and nesting materials right now. Within hours of building and hanging our chickadee birdhouse we had a chickadee couple checking it out. We wondered what they might be thinking. Is the entrance hole large enough? Quality construction? Distance from the ground? Modern aesthetic? Just kidding on that last one, but it did give us a laugh to wonder what might be on their checklist.

One way to give the birds a head start on nest building is to offer nesting materials around your home. If you are cutting your hair at home, sweep those locks into a pile for birds to find. Hang a nesting ball or offer a bowl of materials near a birdhouse or location where birds might nest. Most birds won’t nest in the same location twice, but think about where you might have seen bird nests in the past as clues to where nesting materials might be easily gathered.

If you’re wondering what types of birds you have in your backyard, this guide is a great place to begin.

It’s important to understand that each type of bird has a different nesting behavior and birdhouses should be built to match each specific bird for increased success in attracting them to your yard. I found the chart in the Garden Guide for Austin and Vicinity by the Travis County Master Gardeners Association (a gift from my dad) to be helpful in getting started. If you don't live in Travis County you can find your county’s association with a quick internet search or visit this comprehensive guide on Birdhouse Dimensions and Sizes. This book published by Audubon might be a helpful guide as well:

Not all birds eat the same thing. Depending on what wildlife you’d like to attract to your garden, you can consult this guide from the Audubon site to start welcoming your favorite birds to your backyard. Squirrels will always invite themselves to the party.  

We have a resident cardinal pair that made a nest in our rose arch last year. Cardinals do not migrate, and as a result, they live their entire lives within a mile of their birthplace. The cardinals that returned to our backyard this year could very well be the pair from last year or one of their offspring. 

A female northern mockingbird has also made her home here over the winter and spent the weekend doing a noisy dance of flying haphazardly around the yard and squawking with her potential mate. You can read more about mockingbirds, the state bird of Texas, here.

WELLNESS

When we feel overwhelmed or anxious, stepping back and getting lost in someone else’s story in a book or a movie can help. 

Many movie theaters are opening across the country. We love the idea from Violet Crown here in Austin, TX. They have a program called RSVP Theater where you reserve a private theater on a date and time you choose and pick the film you’d like to watch from their list. As a boutique theater, they are perfectly positioned to offer this intimate screening of the newest releases in film.

Need some time outside? If the weather is nice, try an outdoor movie.

CREATIVITY

Spring break is just ahead for us. I’d love to hear your plans in the comment section below. We are planning a relaxing and low-tech week of gardening, golfing, biking, and visiting with family and friends safely. 

If you’re looking for some creative ways to keeps hands and minds busy over the break, here are several places to start your search. Art projects are lots of fun to do outdoors. Just set up a table or picnic blanket and go for it!

My Learning + Creativity Board on Pinterest

DIY Wooden Texture Stamps

Tiny Bakery Camp

Art Camp Boxes and Classes for spring break or make your own!

Women-Inspired Art Projects and Resources for Kids

Nature Photography Projects for Kids

OR create artwork using jars filled with collage materials (here's a reminder from last week on how to create collage artwork)

For each jar you could add a label on the lid like a bug, flower, food or self-portrait (or number the jars or add the child’s name to the top). The kids (or adults) choose a jar (or one with their name or number) and create an art piece from just the pieces in the jar.

When we are given a finite number of materials, the process encourages us to be creative and use our imaginations! If you’ve ever had to make a meal from just the remaining ingredients in your fridge or pantry, you’ll know just what I mean about constraints being a catalyst for imagination and resourcefulness.

To add a little more fun, the jars could rotate every 10 minutes, or you can give them a set number of optional trades among jars during the activity with a funny sound or timer. 

BOOKSHELF

I’m often reading or listening to multiple books at once, and I choose to continue reading books depending on my mood. But sometimes I begin a book and it sits on my table until later in the month or goes back onto the TBR shelf until the season of the year or my life feels seems a better match. 

I went from a heavy dive into the magical realism genre from November to February to a very garden and nature focused stack of books for March. This spring, I’m finding time every afternoon to pop a chair in the backyard and read a little in the garden. Here are a few books that I’m enjoying right now:

I’m currently reading and listening (the audio version is amazing) to this gem for Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Book Club:

On Libro.fm I’m listening to:

In case you are looking for book recommendations for kids (or yourself!), gift ideas for all ages or want to peek into my TBR List for 2021, head over to the 52 Seasons Book Shop on Bookshop.org. ($)

COMMUNITY

This week I had the privilege of attending the Austin Voices for Education and Youth Luncheon on Zoom. We’ve donated to Austin Voices for Education and Youth for a while now, but this was my first opportunity to attend a luncheon.

Austin Voices for Education and Youth follows the community school model by offering wraparound services for schools. This year despite the many challenges, they continued to have drive-through events to make sure students and families had school supplies, food, and access to medical services. Volunteer community block leaders dispersed important information to the community throughout the year, and Austin Voices for Education and Youth offers language translations as needed for families. Just a few weeks ago, when the winter storm was here and Austin took a turn for the worse, Austin Voices helped make sure more than 4,000 local families had food, water, and supplies.

Speaking at the luncheon were Dr. Miguel Cardona, Secretary of Education, a community school advocate as well as Lloyd Doggett, Montserrat Garibay, Dean Julian Vasquez Heilig, and Jose Carrasco.

Critical to these organizations are the partnerships they form within the community. Austin Voices for Education and Youth works with The Assistance League of Austin, Austin Public Library, Bookspring, Austin ISD Police Department, Boys & Girls Club, Central Texas Food Bank, Coats for Kids, Austin Area Urban League, and MANY others to make these wraparound services available to families.

The concept of a community school is not just a neighborhood school. It is a network of parents, families, schoolteachers and staff, and community members working together to make sure ALL the needs of children and their families are met. Community school means a whole child, family, school, neighborhood, and community approach. If a child comes to school hungry, tired, and experiencing difficult life experiences, or without a home, wrap around services like the ones offered by Austin Voices are vital. 

When we take resources away from our public schools, when we don’t listen to the families and their needs, and we use a top-down approach to education (letting the dollars speak instead of the people), we get a broken school system like the one that we are experiencing here in Texas. We must empower the schools by empowering the kids, parents and teachers to let their voices be heard. 

As Monserrat Garibay shared in the luncheon, “There is a reason we have two ears and one mouth.” Let’s listen first to our community and then work together to make sure ALL of our kids are getting a quality education.

Do you have a teacher or a school you’d like to celebrate that went above and beyond this year? Please share with our community in the comment section. We’d love to hear your story!

"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." - Desmond Tutu

If we all make a difference in our communities, that change will begin to happen on a global level. It begins at home. It’s what we teach our families and IT MATTERS.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read 52 Seasons. I’d love to hear your feedback and ideas so that we can grow together.

Check out some of my favorite resources here.

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