strawberry picking jones family farm - by laura barr photography

I am super lucky to own a business I absolutely love that gives me flexibility to stay home with my kids. It's never easy finding balance, and I've learned that there really isn't such a thing as finding it and keeping it (it's an ongoing challenge), but believe me I know how blessed I am to even be able to try. Summers spent adventuring with my kids is one of the things I am most grateful for and this summer, I wanted to create a "Summer Bucket List" that would be both fun for us and a challenge for my photography. So I'll be taking my kids on these adventures, and capturing it as we go...follow along on my instagram feed to see the fun!

My Top 10 Fairfield County Summer Bucket List:

10. Strawberry picking at Jones Family Farms (check!) - located in Shelton, CT this massive farm is just north of Fairfield County and such a fun adventure. They have strawberries in early summer and blueberries later on...looking forward to going back for the blueberries!

9. Spend a day at Tod's Point in Greenwich (more info on FF County Beaches here)

8. Blue Hill at Stone Barns lunch and walk to the lake (check!) - it's free to enter during the week, and absolutely gorgeous! Make sure to stop in the cafe and store while you're there for lots of organic and delicious goodies, and then take a hike past the stables and to the beautiful Rockefeller property lake. It's a good hour long walk, so be sure to bring water and any carry devices needed for little feet!

7. Farmer's Markets & Cooking Together - getting the kids interested in gardening and growing our own food has been a goal this year, and we are loving harvesting from our own garden, but it's also so fun to take them to a Farmer's Market. There's pretty much one every day of the week. We'll plan on picking an easy recipe, going to the market for the goods, and cooking together. Can't wait!

6. New Milford Elephant's Trunk Flea Market - this is always a favorite trip on a Sunday morning in the summer. I make a picture scavenger hunt for my 4 year old so he can have some fun while I scope out all of the antique goodness, and my favorite things - vintage rugs! Bring water, snacks and cash!!!

5. Thimble Island Cruise - this looks like such a fun little day trip. The cruise departs hourly during the summer and is just $13 for adults and $6 for kids and is a 45 minute ride. After you can head over to Stony Creek Beach...or make an IKEA run on your way home!

4. Road trip to Lavender Pond Farm - this place is a momtog's dream! I think we'll stop by on our way up to Cape Cod in a few weeks.

3. Ride Train to NYC & explore - probably what my 4 year old will be happiest about! We hop on the train in South Norwalk, and take a ride into the city. From there we'll head to the Central Park Zoo or the Great Lawn to hang out and take in the city life for the afternoon.

2. Bronx Zoo - we're going to make a drive to this famous zoo in mid-week early August, when hopefully the camp crowds have died down just a little bit. I haven't been since I was a kid, so I can't wait to go again!

And my #1 Summer Bucket List Item is...

1. Bare feet in the grass & late summer nights by the fire.... Not really a destination, more a way of being. My absolute best memories from childhood are not the places we went, but the days spent truly being a kid in nature. Getting hands & feet dirty, collecting fireflies, making smores over the bonfire. If there's one thing I really want my kids to experience this summer, it is those slow and magical days of summer when their biggest worry is what popsicle flavor to choose. Sweet summertime, summertime...

Hope you all have a blast this Summer! And let me know, what's on your Summer Bucket List?