Smores and Sundresses - A Camping Blog
The Adventures of a Camping Goddess
This summer, we were lucky enough to camp with various friends before embarking on our annual trip to Algonquin, and I have to admit, I learned a lot.
We’ve stayed with friends and family before, but camping with them is entirely different. I didn’t expect to learn anything but I’m thankful I did. Camping with friends has taught us new ways of doing things, using new tools and doing basic things a slightly different way.
No regrets here. Read on to see what secrets we learned:
It’s no secret, especially by now, that my family and I all look forward to camping well before we actually go. It’s a year-round countdown. When we return home, it’s 358 days until we go again. In January, it’s 3 1/2 months until we can book our next trip. Once the trip is booked, the countdown is constant!
But what makes sleeping “on a rock” (as one grumpy reader called it) and spending a weekend or a week outside so enjoyable that avid campers are buzzing about it all year long?
The idea of getting away from everyday life is probably the most important aspect. Getting away from the job, the hustle and bustle of our routines and taking a break from responsibilities for a short time rank high, too.
Camping is exciting for kids of all ages… unless you happen to have one who hates getting dirty (there’s always one!). Kids love the idea of sleeping in a tent, away from home. They also love the undivided attention that comes with family bonding. And roasted marshmallows? I’ve never met a kid who didn’t like to roast marshmallows over a campfire.
Despite this, though, it can be a bit of a challenge to keep kids entertained at all times. Don’t only think of your camping trip as an adventure, but also think of it as family downtime. Here are some activity ideas to camp with kids successfully:
As I’m sure it is for most parents with teenagers, it’s becoming very difficult to spend some time with our oldest son, Tyler. When he isn’t working or doing homework, he’s out with friends.
Don’t get me wrong… I love that he’s popular and has a slew of friends to hang out with. When he was younger, he always said he had no friends (not true at all but I digress), so I guess now he’s making up for it.
Unfortunately, there are days where we send him off to school and we don’t see him until just before bed. It’s part of life, naturally, but at the same time, his father and I love to know what’s going on in his life. We are strong believers in having family dinner together, but with his work schedule, it’s not always possible. So we try to make the best of the situation and schedule a family movie night every once in awhile.
Angela and I have been good friends for nearly 17 years, and have been lucky to have the kind of friendship that picks up right where it left off, despite how busy both of our families seem to get.
What I’ve always noticed and admired about Angela is her amazing ability to create something out of seemingly nothing. She is frugal without being cheap, and she has always been this way, for as long as I’ve known her. So when we attended her daughter’s first birthday party last year, I wasn’t surprised how she turned a free park and some board games into a memorable and charming, lady-bug themed party for her princess.
That’s when I asked her if she would like to share some of her frugal ideas with me (and of course you, my readers), in a blog post. She accepted and I was thrilled.
I’m really hoping she becomes a regular feature here at Smores and Sundresses because we all know how hard it can be to stretch a dollar, especially with kids or when entertaining. I’m always inspired by Angela’s ideas, and I know you will be too.