Friday Favorites: Blueberry Picking Week

 We had a fabulous week!  We hung out with family, went blueberry picking and made some great desserts with them. 





My mother, step-father, sister and her whole family came to visit for the day.  We had a hot sunny day and enjoyed the afternoon by the lake.  We were all set to head to the beach for the day when we discovered there was no swimming allowed-- all the rain led to water contamination so we changed our minds last minute.  I had a blast chatting with my niece and nephew. 




All ready to hit the beach! 



I loved these blueberry nail wraps from Color Street; I might even keep this set on for longer than a week! (though they are already getting destroyed from all the painting I've been doing).




My sister bought me a beautiful bracelet for my birthday; she brought it when she came swimming and I've been wearing it ever since.




My younger boys were invited to a birthday party on Saturday and I always take them to this particular party.  We've been friends with this family for years and it's so fun to see how much these kids have grown!






We've been hard at work on our basement all week!  We finished up the ceiling entirely, I've gotten all the trim and doors painted, we picked out our flooring (and picked up all 32 boxes!), and  my husband installed lighting under the top cabinets. 





My husband and I had an impromptu lunch date when we ran to Lowe's for some supplies.  We stopped at Pub99 and I got a delicious strawberry chicken salad. 



The boys and I went blueberry picking; we've been making up a list of what we want to make with the nearly 5 lbs. of blueberries we picked. 





We had the sun peek through the clouds one night and mixed in with the misty rain it made a beautiful rainbow arching over the house.





We made blueberry boy bait and some blueberry/yogurt popsicles.  



The boys and I went out kayaking one morning.  It was so relaxing on the lake. 












The sun came out long enough for a couple of days for me to read outside and sit in the sun. It was such a nice break from all the rain we've been having. 









Linking up with: On the Edge, 











Comments

  1. All About That Mommy LifeJuly 23, 2021 at 5:37 AM

    Looks like a great week. I love fresh blueberry season! Those kayaking pictures were great-- especially the turtles! How cute!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne July 23, 2021 at 6:00 AM

      It really was a great week; nice and quiet and relaxing summer fun.

      Delete
  2. HollyJuly 23, 2021 at 7:59 AM

    So glad you had a great week! Blueberries are my fave- want to go through your recipes! LOVE that dress on you- I bought the coral one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne July 23, 2021 at 2:34 PM

      I was told today that I have to make blueberry muffins before all the blueberries are gone.

      Delete
  3. Andrea NineJuly 23, 2021 at 8:26 AM

    Your nails are the cutest! I have been loving everything blueberry lately I made two batches of blueberry muffins this week! You look just precious in that dress. I’m glad it was a good week and you get some kayak time in!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne July 23, 2021 at 2:34 PM

      I'm off to make blueberry muffins next; Evan was just badgering me to make some before all the blueberries are gone.

      Delete
  4. Dara @ Not In JerseyJuly 23, 2021 at 9:28 AM

    I love blueberries! What you made with them looks great, so far. And the nails to match are amazing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne July 23, 2021 at 2:35 PM

      I thought it was so funny and so fitting that my nails matched our activities this week.

      Delete
  5. Rebecca JoJuly 23, 2021 at 9:38 AM

    TURTLES!!!!!!
    there's a big blueberry picking place near me & everyone talks about it - I've never tried it yet. They say the berries are amazing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne July 23, 2021 at 2:35 PM

      Yep, we have TONS of turtles in our lake; we used to have a few itty bity baby ones that would crawl up on our beach.

      Delete
  6. Tamar SBJuly 23, 2021 at 9:49 AM

    Berry picking is such a fun summer thing, hoping to go next week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne July 23, 2021 at 2:36 PM

      It is a fun summer thing; my husband spent his summer picking blueberries for his aunt (who had a HUGE orchard of them) and got paid with popsicles and it sort of trickled down to be an annual summer thing for us as well.

      Delete
  7. Sparkles and LattesJuly 23, 2021 at 11:43 AM

    I love your use of the blueberries. Those popsicles look really good. We have berries in our backyard, but I want to go to a berry farm.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne July 23, 2021 at 2:37 PM

      We have some wild blueberries across the lake from our house and we will pick them too but they're not usually as large or as plentiful as a farm.

      Delete
  8. Louise (Little Hearts, Big Love)July 23, 2021 at 12:49 PM

    Lovely to spend time with your family and enjoy an afternoon by the lake – it certainly looks like you had fun. What a beautiful bracelet from your sister. How lovely to go blueberry picking – sounds like you collected a lot. The blueberry boy bait and popsicles look delicious. #MMBC

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lindsay's Sweet WorldJuly 23, 2021 at 3:29 PM

    Your blueberry haul and the goodies you made with them look so yummy! I love homemade popsicles.

    ReplyDelete
  10. JeannetteJuly 23, 2021 at 6:42 PM

    what a wonderful week you've had. Kids do grow soooo quickly.

    ReplyDelete
  11. momslilmunchkinJuly 24, 2021 at 12:38 AM

    I love blueberries homemade Popsicle. By the way the pictures are so beautiful you certainly had fun spending time with family. Have a great week ahead.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Amy JohnsonJuly 24, 2021 at 9:27 AM

    Glad you finally got some sun. Those blueberry treats looks delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Gary A WilsonJuly 24, 2021 at 10:51 AM

    Hi Joanne. You had me at blueberries. I've never had access to them fresh but still love them. It looks like you live in waiting room for heaven. Such a wonderful place to live.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Kim CarberryJuly 24, 2021 at 3:19 PM

    It looks like a great week and like you had the best afternoon at the lake. Your bracelet is gorgeous. What a thoughtful sister you have. x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne July 25, 2021 at 4:30 PM

      Thanks! I do have some pretty amazing sisters.

      Delete
  15. NatalieJuly 24, 2021 at 6:00 PM

    What a great week you've had. The blueberry Popsicles are tasty summer treats. Thank you for linking up with #weekendcoffeeshare.

    ReplyDelete
  16. R's RueJuly 24, 2021 at 8:10 PM

    I really want some blueberry popsicles now. Looks like you’ve been having some good summer fun.
    www.rsrue.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Maria JanssonJuly 25, 2021 at 4:58 AM

    I should also be out picking blueberries. I kind of hinted to my kids yesterday that I've seen a lot of blueberries when I've been riding my bike in the forest, none of them seemed to eager to pick any berries. I might have to go by myself next week, my last week of vacation. Blueberry popsicles sounds wonderful today!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne July 25, 2021 at 4:32 PM

      My kids didn't really want to go either and my youngest complained most of the time until I reminded him of the yummy treats we make with them... then he was a bit more willing to work! LOL.

      Delete
  18. NY Foodie FamilyJuly 25, 2021 at 10:21 PM

    Blueberry picking is so much fun! And all those treats that you made look delicious! That's a beautiful bracelet your sister got you! Hope you had a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne July 26, 2021 at 6:40 AM

      Thank you! We did have a good weekend and I'm hoping to bake up a few more treats today.

      Delete
  19. CherylJuly 26, 2021 at 7:29 AM

    I'd love to go blueberry picking. It would be m kind of heaven. Your kayaking looks fun. Shame about the beach trip, but your niece and nephew look like they enjoyed the lake. Sigh. Off to make blueberry popsicles. #mmbc

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne July 26, 2021 at 4:46 PM

      They love the sand and water! I love seeing them get so excited about swimming and digging; it reminds me of my boys when they were little.

      Delete
  20. the 4 M'sJuly 26, 2021 at 10:04 AM

    Haven't been blueberry picking in a few years. I used to like to go with the church camp kids that stayed at our house because many hands made it easy work! Love your new bracelet: it is very pretty! I am about to call my hubby's uncle to see if we can visit him at the lake as a last hurrah before school starts.
    www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne July 26, 2021 at 4:47 PM

      Yes, many hands definitely make light work especially when it comes to blueberries.

      Delete
  21. Dawn HartJuly 27, 2021 at 5:35 PM

    Some gorgeous photos, I love blueberries and growing them for the first time on my allotment this year xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne July 27, 2021 at 8:18 PM

      Thank you! I hope your blueberries do well.

      Delete
  22. Shelbee on the EdgeJuly 28, 2021 at 8:39 AM

    So much great stuff here, Joanne! This is the third post I've read today that mentioned rainbows! I love a good rainbow and your photo is lovely. The blueberries are so good right now! Although I haven't been to pick any and I only buy them at the grocery store. But they are plump and sweet and delicious. Thanks for sharing all your fun Friday favorites and linking with me.

    Shelbee
    www.shelbeeontheedge.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne July 28, 2021 at 4:56 PM

      Yes, even the ones we're buying at the grocery stores are delicious! You can tell when an area has them in season for sure.

      Delete
  23. Claire JustineJuly 29, 2021 at 8:29 AM

    The water looks like so much fun. I love your bracelet that your sister got you. I could eat the ice lollies and cake what you made with your blueberries, right now :)


    Thanks so much for linking up to Creative Mondays. I hope you can join us again tomorrow :) #CreativeMondaysLinkUp

    ReplyDelete

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