DIY - The Only Camping Stove You'll Ever Need

DIY Camping Stove - Recycled Can

This is genius!  The only cost is the knife you already own and the fuel - rubbing alcohol.  If you need a lightweight camping stove for back country camping, or an extra burner for cooking a big Sunday morning brunch at the campground, this is the stove for you!  Grab a tall, aluminum can out of your recycling bin, a pocket knife, and let the DIY lesson begin.  

DIY Popcorn Maker for Camping

See, camping recipes do NOT need to be difficult!  Popcorn is pretty tough to do while camping, unless you buy Jiffy and make it over an open flame.  We usually use a Coleman stove with the kids.  It's easy to burn yourself, or the popcorn, over an open fire.  This guy ALWAYS cracks me up. Enjoy!

DIY Intruder Alarm

Oh, the fun kids could have with a pack of mousetraps!  Can you imagine what my son's boy scout troop would do with this at summer camp?

This guy cracks me up!  But seriously, if you are back country camping, and a bit nervous about animals or other intruders, take a look at this video. 

Enjoy!

The Power of Camping

 



Many campouts are with a group of relatives, your best friends from school, or a big scout troop. 

And then there are those quiet ones, when you camp with only those closest to you. 

Or you're all alone.



This is when camping is a time to be unplugged. 

A time to travel far away from your ordinary world.

A time to be disconnected from your everyday routine.



A time to dream. 

On the ride there, walking a trail, casting along a stream. 

Pause to silently reflect on your world. 

Ask yourself questions.

Give yourself hours (or days) to find the answers. 



Dream BIG about your future.

Envision the life your want.

Sketch out ideas for change that will move you toward your goals.

Erase them, and try it again using a different perspective.




On the ride home, give yourself permission to make changes in your life.

Be at home with a revived spirit and renewed ambition. 

Believe in the power of camping. 

How To Quickly Winterize Your Trailer

Winterize Your Travel Trailer

We own the tent trailer, or pop-up trailer as it's known.  After a couple of frosts and a bit of snow, it was time to say "Goodbye" for the winter.  Here is how we it.

Water lines: If you have them/use them, you'll need to flush the water out at home and put RV antifreeze in the lines.  We have one simple line to a sink, but many of you will also have a bathroom.  To cover all of your needs you should also read this step by step guide http://winterize.adventurerv.net/.  We always cut the label off the jug and leave it in the sink as a reminder.  FYI, we have a cutting board that covers the sink, so I also store my dish soap, etc. in there.

Rodents: They are looking for a place to live this winter.  Remove ALL food, go through every nook and cranny.   Put a couple of open boxes of moth balls on the floor.  We have never had a problem.  

Year Around Items: We'll use our lawn chairs well before spring, and the kids will use their sleeping bags for sleepovers and scout events.  Pull out everything you may need over the winter.

Valuables: Take anything that is "irreplaceable" out of the trailer. 

Propane Tank: Take it off and leave it at home.  It's easily removed and, therefore, easily stolen.

Refrigerator Switches: Ours are located on the outside of the trailer.  Flip them all to the OFF position.  We have two sets.  One behind each panel.

Locks: Place locks on the pop-up hasps and use them.  Also lock all of the exterior compartment doors with your keys.

Battery: Remove this as well and keep it at your house.  We need it to operate the electric breaks, so it's removed before we leave the warehouse.

Photos: Take a photo of the condition of your trailer and the location, including the ceiling incase of damage.

Go home and start planning a trip for next spring! 

REI YouTube Video Review

Click Here for Camping Meal Tips

Have you ever played Nintendo's Animal Crossing?  Listen closely.  Do you hear that tune in the background music REI used in this "Family Camping" video?  Maybe not, but it's close.

This camper is spot-on with his advice about keeping the meals simple, easy to pack and I love that he used a list.  It's much harder to improvise in the woods when you only have a weekend's worth of food.

Farm markets, road side stands and "living off the land" are great ways to make your food taste a bit more fresh and "gourmet".  However, I don't count on finding a maple syrup stand or a pint of fresh blueberries when I must have a topping for the ready-made flapjack mix.

I'd also avoid picking berries when you are back country hiking or camping in an area with bears.   I know, that's a "Duh Tip" for most of you, but I've watched people do it.  With kids.  Eek!

Back to the video, this hungry camper seems to be cold weather camping and mentions one of his meals: ham and sauteed onions with ready-made polenta.   I've never tried it.  Have you?  I'll put it on the list of "Big Breakfast" recipes to try at home this winter.  Everybody wants to be the "camp hero"!

Fall Euchre Snack Mix and Festive Campsites

 

Are you looking for festive campout ideas?  I always start by looking around our house. 

Fall Mantle

 

Fall Buffet

What can I borrow from the mantle or buffet to make my camper feel like home?



How about taking along Mr. Owl and setting some fall leaves around him on the table?










A couple of small ghosts set amongst gourds, or the ceramic pumpkin full of candy?










If you are looking for a crafty idea, maybe something to do with the kids, Frankenstein is easy to paint and adds a wonderful glow to the picnic table.  All you need is the correct size mason jar, or any jar you'd like to up-cycle, glue, two nuts that look like the correct size for "ears", and a candle.  Super cute!




My Fall Euchre Mix looks festive and is loved by everyone (especially me, because many of the ingredients can be purchased at the Dollar Store).   It can be easily put together at the campground.  A perfect job for the kids! 

    Fall Euchre Mix

 

5 cups Oatmeal Squares

5 cups Pretzels

5 cups Chocolate Animal Crackers

1 bag of Indian Corn

1 small box of Fiddle Faddle

 

       Mix and enjoy!



 

Camping Recipes From Bloggers You'll Love

I really do love to read blogs.  Especially foodie blogs.  And cottage decorating blogs.  And, oh I guess I should stop.  Anyway, I read them because I love to read happy news and because they have so many great ideas, insights and personality.  I never feel bad about deleting a blog that is unfocused or has poor information.  Sorry, folks.  Life's too short.

Today I'm excited to share some of my favorite blogs with you!  OK, BuzzFeed at the bottom is more of a bonus than a Blog, but the rest of them are blogs.  I am able to follow all of these foodie blog authors on my page at Bloglovin.  Click here to access my easy list, then simply click to follow as many authors as you'd like to enjoy their regular updates.

If you like these, there are plenty more camping and travel blogs listed on my blog page.  Feel free to critique these, as I'm looking to edit my list for variety and examples of the very best in camper blogging.  I hope you'll comment and link to other blogs you read to love.  It's always fun to try something new.

And now here it is.  The camping recipes your family will love!  Click on the link below the photo to grab recipes for some great grub. 

 The Camp Gal

 5 Fantastic Fall Camping Recipes

 Six Sister's Stuff

25 Delicious Camping Recipes

Rachael Ray

Add caption

Easy Camping Recipe Ideas

Serious Eats

25 Great Recipes for Camping

Dirty Gourmet

Campfire Flatbread Pizza



BuzzFeed

34 Things You Can Cook On A Camping Trip

Igoogle Closing, Where To Read Blogs

 

Unbelievable!  Igoogle has been my homepage for half a decade, but igoogle will be gone in just a couple of weeks on Nov. 1.  According to artechnica.com, Google may be it's own replacement.  Huh. 

Now, I know some of you are simply pinning something from your favorite site to your Pinterest account to use as a port-hole.  I LOVE my Pinterest boards, but making a Blog Pinterest board is just not the same, or even close to the same, as an igoogle homepage.

Igoogle is how I follow my favorite blogs.  Oh, and I have a fantastic collection of blogs to read!  They are beautiful.  They are insightful.  They are a friendly way to start my day.  They show me travel destinations I'd like to see.  These blogs have adventurous, new recipes.  They share tips and tricks to fix my everyday chaos.  They are the way I become a better mom to two teens.  A better wife to my LEO hubby.

About six months ago, I signed up for Digg.  They have an import function that was super easy, and an app as well as a website.  But the website sucks.  After all the work of setting up Digg, I loathed the day I would need to start over, scouting around to find an acceptable way to view my blog collection. 

This week I found it: Bloglovin.  Now THIS is a website!  Importing my blogs from igoogle was a snap, as was adding blogs I was kinda interested in from posts on pinterest.  And, I could add my own.  You can too by clicking here:

So make the switch now to Bloglovin, or Digg if want choices.  Let me know what you think.  If you have another idea for easily following blogs, leave me a comment below.  See you soon!

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11081057/?claim=vwkqdwu2ygs">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Back to Blogging!

I'm Back!

Have your lungs ever been so full of "gunk" that when you laid down it felt like you were drowning?  Bronchitis Stinks.   I've spent a LOT of time on the couch lately, too sick to get up and clean the cobwebs I noticed on the ceiling. 

So I just laid there and stared at them. 

Frustrated and coughing. 

I thought about the things I wished I could be doing, and the things in my life that I really wasn't missing.  For two weeks.  At some point, I realized that I wished I hadn't given up on the idea of blogging.  And later on, I felt well enough to tackle the cobwebs and the ghostly stain in the carpet.

Friends, it's been WAY too long since I've posted about our travels. I have this idea that I would really like to go back to blogging as a hobby.  It was a fun project!

A year after starting this blog, I've been reflecting about the reasons we have so many great memories of our family trip to Glacier National Park.  I think it's because we took time to talk and write about it. 

 

So, I'm going to give this another shot.  I've stumbled upon a great website with a blog organizer I'm going to try using.  Jolanthe at http://www.homeschoolcreations.net/2012/07/free-printable-blog-planner/ did a BEAUTIFUL job creating this organizer, and I thank her for the free download.

It's just what this renewed hobbyist needs!