The May Days Round Up

May was teeming with new life, home projects, garden projects, cyber schooling, birthdays (Chelsea celebrated her 30th!), Mother’s Day and lots of terrific solar days around here! So much so, I see why I tend to steer clear of taking on personal creative projects during this busy month. It all came together though, in the end, and I’m glad I pushed myself to complete it. When I look back on these images I’ll always remember this quarantined May with fond, happy memories. Take a photo walk with me through this time warp of May Days 2020:

1:31 Entry

2:31 Flutter (and) 7:31 Broken

3:31 Blues

4:31 Four

5:31 Sunshine

6:31 Eyes

8:31 Song (and) 11:31 Green

9:31 Twinkle

10:31 Love

12:31 Symmetry

13:31 White

15:31 Bicycle

14:31 Glass (and) 18:31 Pink

16:31 Nourish

17:31 Rest

19:31 Flow

20:31 Letter

21:31 Smile

23:31 Water

22:31 Fire

24:31 Berry

25:31 Wonder

26:31 Write

27:31 Heat

28:31 Light

29:31 Blur

30:31 Chill

31:31 Circle

How was your May? If you followed or used the prompts, how’d it go? I’d love to hear from you!

Continue to take great care and be well, friend. Wishing you a healthful, happy June!

P.s. I’ve been meaning to update you on our solar panels. I miscalculated the kWh rate by a large margin! Whoa, how I wish it had been true in this post, however, it was way over-inflated. We have received a great reduction overall in our energy costs. That’s the goal! If you ever want to talk to me about going ‘solar’ I’m glad to!

The Hive's Summer Bucket List

June is upon us, my friends! That means Summer Break !! Normally, we’d be making all sorts of fun plans to visit museums, the beach, our local library, B&N for books and café treats, day trips with friends, evenings at Longwood Gardens, festivals and, The Hive’s Summer Camp for Girls, however, these are not normal times we are living through. I am sad to announce that our summer camp for girls will be closed this year. I was eagerly looking forward to hosting a 7-week program, then reduced to a 4-week program filled with art and theater and friendship, reconnecting with the girls of summer, and now we have decided to cancel this year’s program altogether. My hope is that by taking these necessary precautions, further flattening the virus’ curve, keeping everyone safe and close to home, that the kids will be able to get back to school in the fall. When I weigh it all out, it just makes sense. As I tell the girls, “Safety first,” this continues to be our mantra.

But Wait, don’t go! We wouldn’t leave you without some ideas to keep the kids engaged and having fun this summer!! The girls and I came up with a Summer of 2020 Bucket List Challenge. We’ll be meeting this challenging summer of staycation by checking off our bucket list of things to do. We invite you to join us! Feel welcome to download the graphic to keep, print out and/or share with your family and friends. We’re all in this together! We’ll prevail and have a stronger sense of gratitude for the greatest gift - the health and well-being of our family and friends.

Check out the list:

The Hive’s Summer of 2020 Bucket List Challenge is available for download to keep and share.
Please use the hashtag #Summer2020BucketChallenge if you’d like to share your journey with us this summer. We’d love to follow along with you!

Links to inspire you:

Evie’s Online Baking Camp [this is my friend’s 15y/o granddaughter]

STUDIO GHIBLI Museum in Mitaka Japan virtual tour [We loved this!]

20 Virtual Field Trips to Take with your kids [Museums, Zoos and Aquariums]

52 Journal Prompts for Kids on Self Esteem & Confidence [to get them journaling]

Virtual Field Trips All Around the Globe [So many great resources within!]

Perseid Meteor Shower [Mark your calendar for August 11, 12 and 13]

The best park in SE Pennsylvania to fly a kite: Valley Forge National Historical Park

95 Awesome Biographies for Kids [Looks like a great list to get us started]

Even more biographies to choose from at Goodreads

Explore a new LANGUAGE [try this site to get you started]

Easy Cooking Recipes for Kids to Make on their own [ thumbs up! ]

If backyard camping is not a possibility for you, try pitching a tent or making a blanket fort in your living room or other living space that has potential to host the kids’ camping experience. It’s guaranteed to be a memory maker for all time!

We hope you’ll join us this summer and meet this bucket list challenge. What other ideas can we come up with? What did we miss? We’re thinking of our Hive members and all the kiddos that are soon to begin their summer break. It’s going to be a summer to remember!! Make it great, even if it’s not what we had anticipated. There’s much potential ahead of us!! Onward, friends!! (: Happy Summer Break to you!

May Days Photo Prompts

It’s been a spring, my friends.  Hasn’t it?  My full spring photo and art calendar is now at a stand still.  I had so many fun projects lined up over these past few weeks, and had been looking forward to diving into all of them!  They are all now cancelled or pushed back … way back.  I’m not gonna sugar coat it, it saddens me.  But, I know this pause will pass and there’ll be full spring calendars in the years ahead. 

The good thing in all of this stalled social activity is that most every May has been right up there with the month of December.  Moms everywhere know what I mean.  May can be a whirlwind of activities:  end of the school year, sports, events, parties, then throw in Mother’s Day and Memorial Day and, in my family, the many, MANY birthdays.  I’m winded just writing this.  My point is, I’m looking forward to a slower paced May.  I’m mostly curious, if nothing else, to see what it’s even like.  With any luck, this just might be the one and only May of its kind. 

I’ve seen so many wonderful, creative projects coming out of this current quarantine and feel inspired by them.  Why not seize this moment, this May, with a creative project for ourselves?!  

I know many of the fine people that follow along with my blog and photography are also shutterbugs.  I invite you all to join in with a photo-a-day for the merry month of May and a list of prompts to inspire us.  We want to see your work!  If you share your theme prompted photos, join in the fun and post them on social media or your own blog, and use the hashtag #MayDays2020.    

April showers bring May photos and creative inspiration this 2020!  Plus a chance for us to stay connected! Do as many of the prompts as you like, there are no set rules. I’m thinking of using the prompts for photos and for journalling, as well. With all this extra time on our hands, I ask you, why not?! Are you in? We start Friday.

Please feel welcome to download the “May Days Photo Prompts 2020” image to share with friends and loved ones on social media.
The more we extend ourselves, share our vision, and the fun, the merrier this May will be!!
I am so excited to see your ideas and follow along with you, friend!
Get your gear ready to shoot and stay inspired.
Wishing you well and happy thoughts.