While the lack of sunshine this year has been a little disappointing we’ve still managed to make the most of it. One of the highlights for me was finally being able to enjoy a holiday. We’re normally so busy with work that any time off is extremely rare, but we headed down to Cornwall for a week which was great. There’s nothing better than enjoying the simple things in life like walking along the sea front and having an ice-cream or two.

My weekends have mainly been spent tending to my garden. I only recently realised I was green-fingered – a friend gave me a tomato plant to look after and I loved the idea of looking after something and watching it grow. Now my garden is filled with colourful plants and shrubs and I even have a corner where I plant vegetables.

A friend told me that today is Lammas Day (a harvest festival which is celebrated every year). It’s all about the idea of thanking nature for all her gifts. It got me thinking about the solace I take in my gardening and how Lammas is perhaps something I should celebrate. Another big part of the festival is meditation. I often feel like my gardening is a type of meditation – it’s therapeutic and tranquil. It always makes me feel good about myself.

We’ve also spent the summer doing lots of jobs around the house. I always find that I feel very productive in the summer so we’ve given everything a fresh coat of paint and I’ve been getting all arty. I found some old wooden chairs in the attic which I’ve stripped back and painted to give them a new lease of life. I love the idea of ‘upcycling’ something which would otherwise be forgotten about or thrown away.

Summer isn’t quite done and dusted just yet – we still have a few more weeks to make the most of it. Hopefully we will be able to squeeze in a nice weekend away before the end of the month. Overall, this year’s summer has been great!