Backyard Fun! And Free Things to do with the Kids ♡︎ Jessica Hope

Backyard Fun! And Free Things to do with the Kids

I talk a lot about living a authentic life. This doesn’t mean that every part of my life is a picture perfect moment, but what it does mean is I do my best to make the best of all of life’s challenges – which makes the triumphs even better. Like Brian says to David (the Tom Cruise David, not my husband David) in Vanilla Sky:

Just remember, the sweet is never as sweet without the sour, and I know the sour.

We did this quick photoshoot in our backyard one morning and then waited about a week to even look at the photos since we just felt that they weren’t going work out… due to all the “help” we got from our 1 year old during the shoot. After finally browsing through the images I ended up wanting to post only the pictures where Jemma is being so helpful! Haha. Sometimes we feel like we have to go to an extravagant place to have a extravagant life, especially with out kids, but sometimes we need a reminder that is just not true, you can choose to enjoy what is right in front of you (or behind your own house)… or you could choose to enjoy a bite out of that watermelon daddy is using as a photo prop!

I’ve found that “the lux life” is easily in reach just by changing the way I see things around me. I can change from: “it’s hot out, our ‘grass’ (let’s be honest, it’s all weeds) is itchy, the kids are hungry, I need to clean the house, etc… “, to “i’ll just put on a swimsuit and sunscreen, lay out a towel, bring out some fruit, turn on the hose and sprinkler for the kids…” and suddenly time starts flying by way too fast (though unfortunately I’ll still need to clean the house later haha).

We have had so many great memories in our own backyard, from picking up sticks together after a hurricane, playing in the sprinklers because the power is out and it’s 900 degrees in August in Florida, fruit-filled picnics, to crazy-messy finger painting… and we look forward to many more!

My Favorite Things to Do:

Here’s a list of some fun things that can help turns life’s chaotic monotony into fun-filled memories:

Have a picnic in your backyard
Make popsicles together and let the kids get messy while they eat them while walking around the neighborhood (don’t forgoet to bring wipes to clean up the sticky hands after)
Find a public lake and bring some uncooked oatmeal to feed the birds (bread is actually bad for them)
Head to a local playground – and bring a book if your kids are old enough to play without constant supervision. (I’m not here yet with my littlest)
Head to the local farmer’s market on the weekends (and bring some of your own popcorn if you don’t want to buy any! Popcorn is a must for us!). We also love buying caterpillars at our market. It’s so fun watching them grow into butterflies!

In Orlando?

If you are in the Orlando area, here are my favorite places to take the kids:

What are your favorite things to do with the kids (or without)?

Let me know in the comments below, on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or wherever else you may find me!