Well with Spring only one week off and our already sleep deprived selves missing the hour that daylight savings has robbed, the only thing we can do to is shop. In our neck of the woods we are already feeling the warmer weather. And as soon as the sun comes out at our house, we get crazy and pretend its almost summer. Usually that’s a bit of mistake, cause when we jump in our above ground pool to discover that its still pretty freezing, its a little miserable, but who cares its almost spring. So how do you ring in Spring?
PLANTING
This is actually the perfect time to purchase Spring plants and vegetables to grow in your garden. If you have never done this, today is a good time to start, if you already have a great garden, its time to spruce it up.
I am really excited about planting this year and I am really a brown thumb, so don’t go thinking I have any kind of gardening skill, I simply don’t. But I get so excited around this time of year, attempting my garden (yes, from scratch again as I inevitably will kill my poor garden). BUT! I love starting fresh every spring. My favorite things are fresh herbs, tomatoes and citrus fruits from our garden. And this year I vow to conquer the nasty tomato worm! (where do those nasty bugs come from?) But, sweet fresh food from your garden will really add life to pasta, meats and sauces. Yum! I found this great site Garden.com it has a great selection of gardening needs at really reasonable prices and you can shop online. Browse around and have fun and make sure to check out their online outlet.
CATERPILLERS
What? You ask? Well, around this time every year is a good time to watch caterpillars make their transition to butterfly. This is one of the most enriching science and nature experiences you can share with your child. The Butterfly and Nature Gift Store has a large selection of at home science experiences where you and your child can see a caterpillar become a chrysalis and then a butterfly as well as dwarf frog kits, Venus fly traps and any other natural wonders your child may be curious about. 
WHALE WATCHING
March is a great time for whale watching as the whale pod are migrating to and from their breading grounds. Since a lot of baby whales are born in December and January, March is a good time to see mother and calf on the open waters. WhaleWatching.com offers a lot of whale watching excursions that are located relatively near any city in the country. You need to be near a sea port to access whale watching boats, however, if you live inland, planning a nice weekend getaway around whale watching makes the experience even more enjoyable for the kids.
SPRING CRAFTS
Both Kaboose and Disney’s Family Fun have great ideas for Spring crafts and activities. Such as bug crafts, food recipes and Spring excursions.
Try this Spring fresh salad for lunch or dinner al fresco in the great outdoors.
INGREDIENCE
A splash of citrus and tangy Dijon mustard transform everyday greens into a sophisticated summer salad that’s not just your garden-variety side. For added crunch, toss in some sliced mushrooms, radishes, cucumbers, shaved fennel or homemade croutons.
- 1 head romaine lettuce
Dressing:
- 1/3 cup (75 mL) vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp (50 mL) lemon juice
- 2 tsp (10 mL) chopped fresh thyme (or 1/4 tsp/1 mL dried)
- 1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each granulated sugar and pepper
