I BOUGHT ONE OF THOSE GREAT limonatta bottles (with the attached plastic cork and metal cage/hinge) at Trader Joe’s a while back — so classic Euro-looking and fun. Once the bubbly beverage was gone, I washed the bottle and set it aside.

Fast-forward to some neighbor kids swinging by to play in the yard on a hot afternoon. No lemonade or Izze to be had in the house — nothing “fun”.  So, quick, I pop some chilled water into that cute bottle (pouring it through a frosting tip as I can’t find a funnel), pop the stopper back on top, put out some tiny juice-jar-like glasses (the ones us adults use for wine so our kids’ footballs or the Labrador’s tail doesn’t knock ‘em over) and set them on a tray with paper cocktail napkins and pretty slices of apples.

Me?  Walk outside with it, all nonchalant-like, and pop it on the porch.

The kids? Four boys and girls, ages 3 to 10, in an hour (bladders busting, no doubt) drink four bottles of that plain chilled water. They play, come back, sit in the shade of our dogwood tree, and pour more for themselves and one another. The ritual and style clearly make it special and they’re all giddy with excitement.

And me? I just pretend not to notice, as I keep popping back into the kitchen to fill up that same recycled bottle with plain old chilled water from our Britta pitcher. Shhhh.

PESTO AND PASTA go together like two Ps in a pod, as we all know. But if your garden yields a banner crop of basil this summer, consider these alternate uses for pesto that spread the goodness around:

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• Fish topping: Simply brush a light coating of pesto on fish fillets or steaks, and broil. Especially good on halibut.
• Sandwich spread: Mix some pesto into mayo or yogurt to add zest to sandwiches, for example with leftover chicken.
• Pizza topping: Replace the tomato sauce with pesto, or get the best of both worlds by first lightly coating the rolled-out dough with pesto, then ladling on the tomato sauce and the rest of the toppings.
• Vegetable topper: Brush pesto on sliced veggies before grilling. Or enliven corn on the cob by brushing on pesto instead of butter.
• Salad dressing: Add olive oil, vinegar and pepper to turn pesto into a lively vinaigrette for many greens.

And when you’re ready to hit the pasta again, indulge in the Ligurian pesto extravaganza made with the trofiette, whose twists and pinched ends carry the perfect amount of pesto into each bite.

THE INTERNET IS CROWDED WITH ALL SORTS OF ADVICE FOR RAISING CHICKENS in a small-scale environment, such as an urban backyard. You can watch a bevy of You Tube videos on DIY coop-building, selection of rare and exotic breeds, and the care and feeding of chicks.

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But it wasn’t until several of my design-savvy friends became hen owners that I realized how cutting-edge chickens can be. No longer the domain of the alternative set, chicken ownership is indeed a mainstream phenomenon. Eat an omelet made with just-gathered eggs and you’ll be persuaded, too.

Chicken-coop design is an important consideration. My friend Kathy owns a fetching structure affectionately called the Palais de Poulet (yes, it has a turret and leaded-glass windows). Another gal pal, also named Kathy, decorated her coop with a colorful mosaic mural of handmade tiles. I’ve seen chickens take up residence in a converted children’s playhouse and live in a beautiful piece of miniature architecture — cupola included.

Then there are prefab coops. The explosion of prefabricated architecture doesn’t relate only to homes for humans. Here are some of the most interesting ready-to-go chicken abodes around:

Henspa: Egganic Industries, a mom-and-pop coop-maker in Virginia, sells a wide range of easy-to-assemble wood kits, including the “Henhut,” which for a little more than $300 can house a small backyard egg-production operation.

Eglu: Imported from the U.K. and now available to North American chicken owners, this futuristic hut is attached to a wire “chicken run” and can even be ordered with a pair of hens. Kits begin at $495.

Modern Coop: Shaped like a vintage trailer and made from reclaimed  boards, this witty coop houses chickens while adding retro style to your yard. $700 plus additional costs for accessories.

EVERY YEAR AS JUNE APPROACHES, I go through the same fire drill of figuring out summer activities for my kids. The older they get (ages 8 and 10), the less inclined they are to do any old summer camp.

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If given a choice, they prefer camps that focus on their favorite hobbies (by and large, sports-related) but, given the hefty price tag that goes along with most camps, our family budget allows for only two camps per child. That adds up to a whopping total of two weeks. Add a couple of weeks for family vacation, and that still means I have eight weeks to cover in the 12-week-long summer.

This year, a group of four mom-friends and I have devised a plan that kills yet another week. Our daughters are all school classmates and friends. We moms have become friends because of them. And so we decided, why not join forces to keep them entertained?

We’ve created the Mom-Led Fun Week (I know, we need to work on a more clever name). Each mom will take a day of the week to lead some sort of activity with all the girls.

For example, my day will include hitting tennis balls with the girls, then bringing them back to my house for ice-cream sundaes and a dip in the hot tub. Laura is taking them to the beach near her house, and helping them bake cookies. Leslie is coordinating a day of crafting. (Greta joked hers would be a nature day — where she would have the girls help her do yard work!)

The kicker of our plan is to meet up at the end of each day and have a much-deserved Mommy Happy Hour.

The things we do for our kids.

IF YOU’VE EVER BEEN TO TUSCANY, you may have come home with romantic photos of bright red geraniums spilling from a window box or over the rim of a terra-cotta flowerpot. There’s something irresistible about this cheery red flower. It’s the quintessential summer bloom, reminding us of sunshine, warmth, meals eaten al fresco-style, and the good life.

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Except this flower isn’t really a geranium.

Often called a “zonal geranium,” the true name of the popular red, coral, white or pink summer flower is Pelargonium x hortorum. These plants have fleshy stems that bear full clusters of blooms; the leaves are often ruffled, adding to their charming appearance. Pelargoniums hail from South Africa, so they prefer hot, dry environments and therefore will not thrive year-round in areas where winters are wet and cold. For the summer container or flower bed, though, nothing beats this plant. It will bloom almost continuously until the first frost. I especially love the fancy-leafed and scented varieties (with velvety leaves that smell like apple, chocolate, peppermint, lemon and more).

The true geranium, often called a “hardy geranium” or cranesbill, is a hardy perennial that will usually survive cold winters and then leaf out and bloom the following spring. Geraniums have smaller leaves and tinier flowers than showy pelargoniums, but they make up for their quieter demeanor by serving as the garden’s soft embroidery. As these plants grow, their small, roundish leaves and short stems with open-faced flowers knit together with nearby plants, filling in the garden’s bare spots with a carefree abandon. Two of my favorite cultivars include ‘Rozanne’, which produces almost iridescent purple-blue flowers, and ‘Ann Folkard’, admired for its chartreuse foliage and magenta-purple blooms.

The best news is that you don’t have to choose between pelargoniums and geraniums. Enjoy them both!

Many who swim for fitness live for the two to four months of the year when we can swim in the real world. I fantasize lap after lap about a velvety bay that rewards the end of a favorite forest hike.  

But swimming outside requires a diligence that mindless lap swimming does not. The American Red Cross reports that nearly half who play in the water do so in areas with no lifeguard. With triathlon season upon us, here are some reminders of water safety for fitness swimmers:  

• Swim with a buddy.
• Wear a bright-colored cap so boat drivers can see you.
• If you’re swimming longer distances, consider tethering to a light plastic rope connected to a light float board. (I got the last one on the shelf last summer so now I swim with SpongeBob SquarePants.)
• Choose your area carefully. Find a designated swim area, if possible, and one with scalable banks.
• Trust that “No swimming signs” are there for good reason.
• Be aware of gradual chilling. If it’s cold, wear a wet suit.
• Swim parallel to the shore and know your limitations.

That’s it! Your reward for all those laps enjoyed. Swim with good sense so you’ll be around to dream about lake swimming when you get back in the pool this fall.

THERE IS NOTHING ENJOYABLE ABOUT MOVING from one house to another. Throw kids into the mix and the whole process can be even more stressful.

But before you blow your top amidst the cardboard boxes and packing tape, get your kiddos involved. There is plenty for them to do, and they will actually think it’s fun. (And at least someone will be having fun.)

The packing phase of moving is a great time to sort the things you need and don’t need. Put kids in charge of their own rooms and give them a few guidelines for sorting:

• Pile #1 is the things you want to take to the new home.
• Pile #2 is the things you want to toss out (broken toys, games with missing pieces, etc.).
• Pile #3 consists of the things you don’t want, but could be donated or given to other kids, like clothes or shoes that are too small, or toys you’ve outgrown.

Kids of elementary-school age and older can pack their own boxes. They’ll enjoy wrapping things up and using tape to close lids. Have them design a personal seal (a picture or initials) that they draw on all of their own belongings. This is yet another way to get them to take ownership of their stuff.

You can also enlist your kids’ help in other parts of the house; just be specific in what they need to do. In the kitchen, they can be responsible for wrapping up and labeling silverware. Or they can go to all living areas and pack pillows from every room.

You might even want to consider a cash incentive — maybe 25 cents for each box packed. For a mere $10, that’s 40 boxes and, most would agree, money well spent.

MY KIDS SPENT THEIR EARLY YEARS attending a Catholic school in Florida. They had to wear uniforms, and the only real choice each day was whether to wear a yellow, white or blue shirt.

Two years ago we moved to the Pacific Northwest and joined a public elementary school. That first day in September was a treat. My then 9-year-old was beyond excited that she had traded in her plaid uniform and sensible black school shoes for cool shorts, a hoody and a pair of slip-on sneakers. My son, who was 6, put on a football jersey and shorts. The weather was warm and everyone was giddy at the freedom of wearing whatever they wanted.

A few weeks later when the temperature dropped, I insisted both of them wear long pants and jackets. The fight that ensued was no fun. (“No one wears long pants. Why do we need a jacket? ” [Insert name of friend] never wears a coat!” The fight the day after that was no fun, either. This went on for a few days and each time, I’d “win” the clothing battle, but they left the house sulking, which is never a good way to start a school day.

That’s when I realized it wasn’t worth it. Good grades are a must. Good behavior in school is a must. Dressing warmly because I thought it was a cold day? Not a must.

We compromised by agreeing to just one rule: If it’s below 40 degrees, long pants have to be worn. Every day they check the weather. If it’s forecasted to be a low of 38 and a high of 42, they argue that shorts are technically still allowed, and they walk out the door dressed as if they are still in balmy Florida.

I LIVE IN A CITY THAT IS BESOTTED with recycling, a very good thing indeed. And since I work in a kitchen, I am constantly thinking how I can waste less and recycle more. Here are a few of my tricks:

• Reuse your plastic bags. We have a several-pronged dishcloth rack set up by the sink so we can rinse bags, turn them inside out and dry them on the rack. Over and over.
• Use glass canning jars for storing food. In addition to being able to see what’s inside them, you are using less plastic and exposing your food to less plastic.
• Use plastic wrap only when nothing else will work. If you’re carrying food somewhere, most of the time a clean dishtowel thrown over the top will work just fine.
• Use wax paper and wax paper bags for wrapping food and lunches. Again, you’ll be using less plastic and exposing your food to less plastic.
• Maintain a worm bin or full composting set up to get rid of food waste. Alternately, if you dig down deep enough (and it’s permitted in your area) you can also just bury food waste in the ground.
• Use paper towels sparingly – see how long you can make a roll last. Arm yourself instead with a basket of dishtowels or inexpensive bar towels.
• Water the plants with the water you used to wash your salad. I simply fill up my salad spinner, throw in the greens, swish them around and take out the strainer with the greens. Then I carry the water to whatever houseplant needs it most.

EUCLID SAID IT 2,500 years ago: “Through any given point an infinite number of lines may pass.” It is one of the axioms of geometry … and it works for life decisions as well.

We easily make 10,000 decisions everyday. Most are pretty routine: coffee or tea? The red sweater or the blue sweatshirt? Soup or sandwich? It’s interesting how much we limit ourselves to a single choice. We put ourselves in the middle of an “on/off,” “this/that,” “good/bad,” “right/wrong” mentality. It’s more like a computer than a person.

The way you pose the choice usually reflects a particular mental rut of “the only way it can be.” However, there is much more, namely, what might be possible. Getting to a greater range of possibility requires two things: First, pause and slow down the race to the solution. Second, soften your mental stance,  and allow yourself to receive new information. There are a hundred or a thousand possible responses.