For simple ideas that don’t cost a dime (or don’t cost much more than one) try one of these. Have your child invite a friend over and gather your craft supplies for a day of inventing and design. Have your child invent an imaginary product that they can then come u with a commercial for. They can design the layout of the item on paper using markers and colored pencils, even construct the invention if it isn’t too much. Then have them create a commercial to sell their product. They can dress up as caricatures, write a script, and direct the whole set. If you have a digital camera, film it, and display it on the web for other parents to get creative with.

Children can create hundreds of homemade projects using household ingredients. Remember those volcanoes made in science class from vinegar and baking soda? Try helping your kids create their own silly putty. This is very simple. Mix one part white glue to one part liquid starch and blend to thick consistency. This material will stretch, snap, and bounce. Best of all when it gets old throw it out and make a new batch.

Create glitter spinners which children can use to hang in the windows to reflect light. Using wax paper have your child draw designs on the paper. Tell them to make thick lines. Now they can select colored glitter to sprinkle on the designs. Let dry for several hours and then peel the glitter spinners from the paper. Pierce with fishing wire and hang in front of windows to catch light.

One more idea is a beautiful way to create sand drawings in a sandbox or any where there is a surplus of sand. Using several spray bottles of water, add food coloring (about 30 drops per bottle) to create different colored waters in the bottles. You can use pans filled with sand or create sandbox art. Give each child a few bottles of colors and let them create sand paintings and designs. They can easily turn the sand with a kid shovel and start over. Take digital pictures of the art and hang it up.

There are parts of the summer that don’t afford us much outside time. When it happens to be one of those days that no matter what you do, you would still end up being a sweating uncomfortable mess, book yourself a spa appointment. Make it a home spa appointment and you won’t even have to go out to the car and drive anywhere. Any spa worth going to, will keep the temperatures in a range that will allow you to wear a fine, or not so fine, terry cloth robe. So go ahead and shamelessly run the central air without constantly checking the meter to crunch the numbers on what your estimated energy usage will be. There are just some temperatures that call for us to bite the bullet and chalk it up to a summer time expense.

After a nice few hours at the spa you can enjoy a light but tasty summer lunch. You can have fresh fruit, a salad, and green tea with mint and lemon. This lunch will usually come complimentary with your spa package; lucky you.

Now that you are nice and relaxed, it’s time for a summer afternoon nap. One of the greatest pleasures of summer is being able to take a nap in your cutest summer pajamas, and not have to explain, or fake sickness. Everybody knows that the hot weather calls for naps, even if you had the air set to 75 degrees all day.

By the time you wake from your nap you most likely be ready to eat a good dinner because of how light your lunch was. At this point in the day the sun should be going down, marking the sky with incredible colors that will fill you with energy. Enjoy some more green tea and watch the sun set, then put on an outfit that exposes as much skin as you can legally get away with. Once it gets dark out the temperatures get down to a bearable range and you don’t even have to worry about wearing sun screen.

Going out at night during the summer months is different than it is in the winter. Everybody’s mood seems to be set to vacation mode. It’s dark, it’s a little warm with a cool breeze, and fun is in the air. You can even stay up later and not feel it as much the next morning, as you would in the winter. It’s a summer thing.

You will be amazed at how many things there are to do on summer nights. There are outdoor concerts in the park. Night street fairs usually happen at least one day of the week. And there are even outdoor movies in the park. Grab a big thick blanket, to lie on, pick a kind of private spot and take somebody you really like with you.

When you get home don’t bother to put the lights on, you used enough electricity for one day. Just light some candles and spend the rest of the night thinking about how cool you were on such a hot day.

This phenomenon is real and it affects all people eventually.  The ways in which this curious happening affects people varies from person to person; but at some point in everybody’s lives it does.  This makes total sense considering we, as people, are also a part of the animal kingdom.  The largest measurable differences between, we as humans and our animal counterparts, is our ability to reason, and the limitations our conscience puts upon us.

Biology has taught us for years that every living thing has the same basic needs in order to survive.  We have also learned that what usually affects one species will most likely affect others in very similar ways.

So that tired lazy feeling that strikes us just as the days start to grow shorter and colder, signaling that winter is well on its way, is not just some random coincidence; it is our bodies fighting the natural urge to hibernate.  Hibernating animals find a safe shelter and go into a deep state of sleep.  While in this sleep, the animal’s heart rate slows, as does their breathing which helps eliminate the need to eat during the months that may be hard for them to find food.

As tempting as sleeping away the winter months is, it is not necessary for our survival like it is for some of our animal friends.  Because we have the ability to get the food we need, and keep our bodies warm and sheltered from the cold, we can be as active as we want, but still we are less active, and tend to eat more in the winter.

In case you haven’t noticed, spring brings about some changes in people, and in animals, that are undeniably inspired by Mother Nature herself.  The warm days and breezy nights of spring have every creature howling at the moon, and at each other.  During this season many people willingly turn over their more civilized habits for the wild abandonment of feeding the animal side of their personality.

The hot scorching weather of summer finds animals and people seeking relief from the unrelenting months of punishing heat in a lot of the same ways.  Animals migrate to cooler locations with lots of water, and humans go on vacations to places with lots of water.

Whether it’s lazing around pools of cool water to beat the summer heat, or eating a lot and staying in a semi dormant state during the freezing cold of winter; one thing is for sure, animal or human, we are all in this together.

Actually, the largest pot of all is going on in early July. The World Series of Poker kicks off its initial events in June, with the Main Event beginning in early July. Now, you purists will point out that the final table is actually delayed until November, but 99% of the action occurs in the summer. Most people make their way into the tournament by winning a satellite, whether through an online poker room or at a land-based casino.

If you happen to win a satellite or are thinking about just making the $10,000 gamble, be sure to read up on your poker strategy so you have the best chance possible!

In all honesty, any excuse necessary to justify yet another adventure into the ocean is well worth adding to one’s regular fitness itinerary. There is truly nothing quite like communing with the ocean, as the benefits from merging with its vast beauty reach far beyond anything a fitness club can provide. The mental well-being that can arise from regularly swimming in its undulating depths is the kind of therapy that, for many, only nature seems capable of providing. For an increasing number of board riders, surfing itself is even considered so spiritual that the term “soul surfer” was coined several years ago. It may come as an even bigger surprise that some of the soul surfers took it to another level in recent years and made surfing an official religion.

So what is it that makes riding a board across the ocean so…well…deep? To begin with, the best way to really experience the subtleties that can bring a deeper understanding seems to be by riding on what is called a “long board”. “Long boarders”, as those who choose to primarily ride on one of these long boards are called, arguably make up the majority of the soul surfer community. These longer boards are generally ridden on smaller waves and the experience is much less of a grueling extreme sport based on thrill seeking. Long boarders are generally more prone to having a pleasant time enjoying the ocean and getting some exercise without having to wonder if the wave they are riding is their last. Soul surfing, for many, is about what happens when one really gets in touch with the ocean itself. When one really learns to listen to its patterns and begins to find a natural meditation arising.

Thankfully most people begin on a long board, although many are in such a hurry to get the thrills of riding a shorter and faster board on huge waves, that they potentially miss out on some of the deeper understanding of the art that may more easily come from long boarding. Hopefully, after your introduction to surfing, you will continue riding a long board as part of your surfing enjoyment. You may even find that you prefer long boarding and may ultimately find that you are one of those legendary soul surfers yourself.

Remember that it’s all about enjoying the experience. If it feels better for you in the long term, that’s generally because it actually is.

One of the most remarkable differences is the comfort in knowing that there are no chemicals on the fruit. It may still need to be washed because of weather conditions that may have blown dirt or dust on the fruit. But the wondering and worry about which inspect killer was sprayed on the fruit, and if it will eventually kill you, evaporates. You also get the added benefit of knowing that viruses and bacteria were not deposited on your fruit, by one or more, of the hands that handled it, in it’s journey to your store. These facts are often overlooked by most people when they buy fruits because; unless you grow it, you will need to buy it. Of course a thorough washing can give some peace of mind.

Organic fruit is on the scene now, so for those who have not been blessed with trees bearing fruit, there are more healthy choices. Of course, the optimistic side of us all would love to think that we have found the king of all fruits in the organic variety. The reality is that organic fruits are grown with different guidelines, but just what those guidelines are, and exactly how they are being enforced is not something we, common folks, can be witness to firsthand. Even though we cannot see the difference in the growing and handling of organic fruit, it is regulated more strictly than non-organic, so it is safe to say it is better for you. Still, the best fruit, is the one you grow in your own yard.

Some common fruit tress in the western region of America are citrus; including orange, lemon, and grapefruit. Avocado, fig, apricot, and apple also like the warmer climate known to this region. The advantages of having these trees in our, or our neighbor’s backyards are:

Saving money, we literally go out and pick it off the tree, no need to even start the car. For the more entrepreneurial individual, selling the fruit off of large trees, at a reasonable price is also possible. Citrus trees can yield a good profit because the fruit is typically expensive at the supermarket. A nice bonus are the orange blossoms that grow in early spring, and summer. The perfume from these flowers that grow on the tree before the fruit is born, can be smelled for miles. It smells so good that it is even used as the base, in many expensive perfumes.

Culinary advantages, when life gives you a lemon tree,  you can now make your own lemon aide. Not only lemon aide comes from lemons, its used in marinades and desert recipes. Dried figs make a sweet and healthy snack. Figs can also be used to make spreads and they even taste good in savory dishes. Anybody lucky enough to have an avocado tree knows how good life can be with guacamole only minutes away.

Aesthetics, fruit trees provide shade to yards in the summer, fragrance in the spring, and their majesty can transform a yard into a garden.

Choose an inconspicuous area where you will place your compost container. You will want to create the right container or method to hold the mixture as it is turning to beneficial compost.

The lazy man’s way of composting is simply starting a heap or pile in a corner of the yard. Turning it frequently and keeping it moist. This is not a favored method. Another way is to simply dig a hole for composting underground. This keeps it out of sight but slightly harder to aerate when needed. Sheet composting is best done in Fall. Start with a thin layer of raw materials (such as leaves) and incorporate it into the soil of an already existent garden. This allows the material to compost over the winter months and you will not need to move the compost, it will already be in the area it is needed for. Try using a black plastic bin, such as a large lidded trash can.

A widely used and sturdy bin can be made from wooden pallets. Lie one solid pallet one the ground add support stakes into the ground by driving metal stakes into each side. Slide additional pallets over each support and you have a bin ready for use.

There are many different containers that can be purchased at stores. Tumblers, boxes, even worm towers. You decide what is easiest and most affordable for you.

General ideas and tips for composting : Grass clippings add necessary nitrogen to a compost pile, but mix with “brown” material that will add carbon. Together they make for quick decomposition and richer soil. Add shredded newspaper to your pile to increase decomposition speed. If adding ashes be sparing they affect the pH of the pile.

Do not use grass only. Do not compost fats, oils, pet droppings, or animal products. You will only attract wild animals and possibly spread disease.

The general process of proper decomposition is based on equal parts of Nitrogen and Carbon. Nitrogen comes from the green materials added to the pile such as food scraps, grass, and manure. The Carbon comes from dead leaves, hay, wood chips, and newspaper. Equal parts fo both create a healthy compost blend.

Make sure your bin is in the direct sunlight to promote decomposition and is aerated regularly. Add red worms you find while digging or purchase from a bait shop. Keep the pile moist like a wrung out sponge. Keep these simple steps in mind and you will soon have your own healthy, naturally beneficial compost. Use it in the garden, for the flowers, for the houseplants, but add it to already existing soil add a healthful additive. Once added, wait, let your plants grow, and enjoy the lush benefits of your handmade fertilizer.