For a lot of us, warm sunny weather is only here 3-4 months out of the year.  Because of this, we should put in the extra effort to enjoy it to the fullest while it's here. Here are 10 ways to do so.

1. Brew a pot of sun tea. Put desired amount of tea bags in a sun tea jar or other glass jar, fill with water and set in the sun. Add fresh herbs at this point if you wish. Let sit in the sun until tea has reached color you desire. Sweeten to taste, chill and serve over ice.

2. Cook on the grill whenever possible. Not only is this a pleasant way to cook but you don't heat up your kitchen and the food is delicious.

3. Lay in the sun and read a good book. Be sure to put your sunscreen on!

4. Take a drive to the country, the mountains, the ocean, the desert or other place of nature. Pack a picnic if you wish or stop to get hamburgers at a small-town hamburger shop. The burgers are much better than city fast food!

5. Take a bike ride around your neighborhood. Look for ideas people have used to decorate their yards and use them yourself. Enjoy the blooming flowers and nature.

6. Play outdoor games. Frisbee and badminton are great if it's just your family. If you can get a group together, try volleyball or baseball.

7. Pack a picnic and go fishing. This is fun with or without a boat. Be sure to bring sunscreen.

8. Go yard saling. What a great way to have fun and find many bargains! A lot of local and freebie papers have yard sale directories to help you map out a plan of action.

9. Have a yard sale. Get rid of clutter and earn some cash. Fill a cooler with pop and sell individual cans or have the kids sell lemonade.

10. Play in the water at the local pool, water park or lake.

Above all be sure you take advantage of the warm summer months and enjoy as much as possible!

About the Author
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Create a Hummingbird Garden Habitat
by Kathy Burns-Millyard

It's not difficult to create a garden that will attract hummingbirds,but if you'd like to build a habitat in which they will happily nestand live throughout the northern summer, you need to provide them with more than a sugar-water feeder and a plant or two. An activehummingbird garden doesn't need to be large, but it will have all ofthe following key ingredients to attract and keep the attention of"nature's fairies".

Choose plants that attract Hummingbirds
Flowers are, of course, the key ingredient in attracting hummingbirdsto your garden. The tiny birds feed on nectar that is produced byflowers, and they seem particularly attracted to plants with trumpetor tubular bright red and orange flowers. Favorites includerhododendrons, azaleas and rose of Sharon bushes. For northern gardens that attract the ruby-throated hummingbird, choose plants that flower at different times during the blooming season to provide food for them throughout the spring, summer and fall.

Spring Bloomers - Azaleas, rhododendrons and rose of Sharon bushes make a great 'background' for hummingbird gardens. They bloom early in the spring and continue blooming through the early summer. Pink and bright red varieties are favored, but hummingbirds love all Rose of Sharon varieties.

Summer Bloomers - Bleeding hearts and red mountain columbine bloom in the early summer, as do petunias, morning glories, trumpet vines,trumpet honeysuckle, and impatiens, all of which attract hummingbirds.

Autumn Bloomers - Butterfly bush, day lilies, garden phlox, bee-balmand impatiens all will keep hummingbirds returning through the autumn.These blooms will also attract late migrators too.

Provide a source of water in the hummingbird garden
Unlike larger birds, hummingbirds will seldom take advantage of a birdbath or bowl of water. Instead, they relish cool mists. A garden hosewith a misting attachment or a small fountain that can be adjusted toa fine mist will keep them happy.

Create perching and nesting space in your garden
Hummingbirds need shelter from predators, plus small branches forperching and resting (yes, they do perch sometimes!). By choosing afew taller bushes or trees, you can provide both.

Several strategically placed hummingbird feeders
There are dozens of commercial hummingbird feeders designed to beattractive to the little wanderers. Choose feeders with bright redaccents, and a capacity for about 8 ounces of sugar water. Instead of using one large feeder, place 2-4 of them around your garden, out of sight of each other if possible. Hummingbirds are notoriouslyterritorial. By providing several 'private' feeding stations, you'llincrease the number of hummingbirds that you attract.

Related information and resources from this article can be found at:www.garden-source.com/

About the AuthorKathy Burns-Millyard. This article is brought to you by The Bird House Shop Section of The Garden Source Network - birdhouses.garden-source.com - This article may be freelypublished on any website, as long as the author, copyright, websiteaddress and link, and this notice are left intact.