Is everyone really on board?

Of course, our number one dream is to make hitting the road happen. It’s pretty much all we think about, and we talk as a family about our dream a great deal. We realize that this lifestyle is not for everyone. We know our family will think we are insane. We don’t personally know many other people (any?) who would be willing to let go of a permanent residence, downsize 90% of their possessions, and live 24-7 in a 31 by 8 foot Jayco Eagle. Brian and I feel that this was laid upon our hearts, but you may be wondering about how our kids feel. 

We would not even contemplate this if our kids weren’t 100% on board. Both kids are getting older and are getting to an age where friends are more and more important to them. But they are social butterflies who make friends easily, so we feel they’ll make tons of new friends on the road. Thank goodness for technology… they can Facebook, Twitter, blog, Skype, Face Time, call, or text… so they can stay in contact with all their friends, new and old. Campgrounds are such great places to meet people! We’re all excited to think of all the interesting new friends we’ll meet and adventures we'll have together to cement our family bond even more!

Frugal Family Fun

The dollar store is my best friend while camping! I always keep the toy cabinet stocked with the following inexpensive items:

1.       Sidewalk Chalk

2.       Bubbles

3.       Rocket balloons or flying saucer balloons… these are actually in the cheap toy aisle at walmart. Reusable and SO much fun! Rocket balloons are about 3 feet long and fly 10-20+ feet in the air.  Flying saucer balloons- well, I’m sure you can guess what they look  like!

4.       Glow sticks. Great to wear on walks, to throw in the water for nighttime swimming (only if you’re sure to pick them up!), to wear during nighttime swimming, or to break open and splatter everywhere (the nontoxic ones!).  Fun to put in easter eggs or balloons to hunt at night, or inside a solo cup (with a clear solo cup inside that) for a glow in the dark drink. We attended an outdoor movie last night, and they were giving away beach balls with glow sticks inside. Hmm…

5.       Playdough- you’re never too old for playdough! Older kids enjoy building cities, people, zoos, etc.

6.       Bouncy balls- My kids have had the MOST fun playing with a 79 cent rubber kickball. Those tiny super bouncy balls are pretty awesome too!

7.       Water guns

8.       Crayons or markers

9.       Frisbees

10.   Kites

Shaking my head...

You would think that campers would generally be pretty environmentally conscious, right? You know, the type people to pick up after themselves, leave no trace behind, leave nature better than they found it, right? That’s what my family tries to do. One day at Hart State Park my family and I went on a family walk. We strolled around the park, up and down the hills, around the campsites, just enjoying the beauty of nature. Then we decided to go down to the shore, and next thing you know we find lots of cigarette butts. I’m not talking 1 or 2; I’m talking piles and piles. There were cans, beer bottles, plastic bags, rope, bottle tops, glass, and even dirty socks!  I felt like yelling at all the ungrateful people who left their litter in the beauty of nature. My parents couldn’t believe it. We picked up trash from tent camping all the way to our campsite. When we were done we had a whole 30 gallon black trash bag full of stinking garbage. My heart felt so warm inside after doing something good for nature and the park we love so much. My dad tells us to try to do one unselfish act every day. That was my act for the day.

So, when you go to Hart State Park, (or any other outdoor area) please, please do not litter!    

Published by Hunter

Mom and Dad here. 

To add a little to Hunter’s blog entry, we went to the beach today to watch the sunset.  A beautiful setting, or so one would think. Nope. Trash everywhere. While I took photos, Brian picked up trash. A grocery bag full… on a beach the size of a tennis court. Not one, but two pairs of shoes, 200 plus cigarette butts, a tube of toothpaste, bread ties, a towel,  the usual bottles and cans, and….. drum roll please…. The nasty award (We’ll call it the Honey, Get the Stick Award) goes to…. A USED feminine product.  Really, people? I mean, really????

Having a moment

Do you ever just have a moment? You know, when everything is a-ok, perfect, right with the world? I had one the other night. We'd ridden down to the beach here at Hart State Park. It was just after sunset. The wind was blowing, the waves were gently lapping against the shore, and the children were running around in the sand. They were cartwheeling, giggling, playing tag, and having a ball. It warmed my heart and reaffirmed why we do what we do. Why we spend all our time together. Why we want to hit the road with our babies and never look back. These are the precious moments we'll always remember... when my two dears pulled me into the water, fully clothed, and we swam in the dark and watched stars and bats.... how lucky are we?

Sidewalk Fun

Thanks to Pinterest, I’ve found a new family favorite activity… sidewalk chalk paint. So cheap and easy to make. You mix equal parts cornstarch and water and color with food coloring to the desired shade.

 A muffin tin is a great place to mix all your colors. This is not an exact science- you want it to be soupy enough to paint with, so use your judgment when mixing! The paint is really slick looking and feeling, and lasts a long time. If you don’t use it all up, just let it sit… if it dries out, you can add more water when ready to use again! 

Sharing this at  http://delightfulorder.blogspot.com/2012/07/delightfully-inspiring-thursday-party.html

Fun Camping Activities

AKA... What do you DO all the time with 2 kids in a camper?

One of the things we love about camping is the price tag. With the economy as it is, many families have to forego family vacations altogether. Camping is the perfect solution. Sure, it would be great to go to Disney or Universal or some other amusement park for a week, but we can camp for a month or two on that hefty cost.  There are so many great family activities to do while camping that don’t cost a dime.  Here are our top ten favorites:

• 1.       Go for a walk. It’s amazing the conversations that go on while walking. Sometimes it’s easier to discuss a serious topic while walking, almost nonchalantly. We have found that, if one child is misbehaving, moody, or sad, a walk with a parent usually clears it right up. Same goes for spouses as well! We also pick up trash while we walk. It’s appalling how much trash some campers can leave behind! We always seem to meet new and interesting people on our walks as well.
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• 2.       Play in the water. No, we don’t have a boat. Everyone is amazed at that. Yes, we would love one. But we have a great time swimming, splashing, floating, etc. We also love to snorkel in the lake. We each have a snorkel set and find fishing lures, goggles, toys, even money! That’s great for summertime, of course; but we also play in the rain during other seasons when swimming’s not a possibility. No thunderstorms, though!
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• 3.       Watch and listen to the wildlife. We throw out birdseed for the birds and squirrels and have a ball watching them. In fact, I’m fairly certain I was blessed out yesterday morning by 3 little birds. They flew all around my campsite, pecking and acting like they were looking for something. When I got them some birdseed, they rewarded me with a song! You can collect bugs, fallen flowers or plants, or even photograph the wildlife you encounter.
• 4.       Play games. We have a game cabinet in the camper stocked with family board and card games. That’s probably my favorite thing to do with the kiddos. My guys also love to make up their own games. They’re currently playing one they’ve recently created called Jackpot. I’ll let them post the rules later!
• 5.       Color or draw. I don’t care how old you are- everyone loves to color, even if they don’t want to admit it! Bring out a fresh box of crayons and everyone gets involved! You can make crayon rubbings of plants, bark, trees, leaves, etc.  Sidewalk chalk is a HUGE hit around here too…. Then you can draw hopscotch, tic tac toe, or hangman also!
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•  6.  Go fishing. 
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• 7.       
• Make crafts. Like our Pinecone Bird Feeder, Jewelry, Beasley campground sign, windchimes, cloud dough....
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• 8.       Play ball. There are so many varieties- softball, baseball, kickball, dodgeball, volleyball, ladderball, croquet, and, our current favorite, bocce ball (think mobile horseshoes).
• 9.       Go on a bike ride.
• 10.   Just sit and talk… relax. Too many people today don’t take the time to stop and smell the roses, and so many parents are too busy working, cooking, cleaning, carpooling, yardworking, etc. to really talk and listen to their kids. I know I’ve been there many times. It’s something I have to fight to remember to do sometimes. But remember, time is love.

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