Getting It Together: Back to School #1, Shopping Plan.

It is about that time again and our kids have to start school in about 2 1/2 weeks.  The task of shopping for school is always very stressful to us and it takes a lot to face it sometimes.  UGH!  But I have a schedule to uphold, and have to get these kids ready before the stores run out of clothes and supplies to choose from.  This is how we create our shopping plan for back to school.


Clothes:
About a week ago we inventoried all of their fall and winter clothes.  We had them try everything on, then we tallied up what they had.  This gave us an idea of what gaps we had so we could create a list of what the kids need for school clothes shopping.  I created a worksheet in our word processor to help us streamline this.  Keeping this on hand will allow for easy annual inventories, and keep you organized.

The clothes that didn’t fit or were too old (or they just had way too many of…) went into 2 piles.  One to donate to Good Will and the other was items that were not good enough to give away and we threw them out or chose to reuse them as rags.

From this tally sheet I made a list for shopping.  I arranged it by the departments we would be shopping in, then by the items needed then by the person.  This way we would be first directed to the correct department and wouldn’t be having to go back and forth, searching for things.


Supplies:
Our school sends out lists with the children’s required school supplies at the end of the previous school year.  It is such a joy… to try to keep track of this list over the summer.   LOL!  Anyway, I place it in my Household binder so it won’t get lost. 

I take all of their lists and I go through all of our extra supplies that we have on hand (from previous shopping trips, and from what came back from last year that was adequate to reuse).  This generally takes care of most of the needed school supplies.  Then I start setting up their backpacks with the supplies that we do have on hand.  Again, like with the clothes inventory worksheet, I just have to fill in the gaps where we are lacking. 

From what we are missing I create a new list, and set it with the clothes shopping list in my household binder and wait for the right day to go shopping.  Prep work is now complete.


Having a plan and a budget in mind will really help you stay on track.  My children know that they are allowed to choose the items we shop for from the list, and from the store that we agree upon.  Children need choices, but families need limits.  It really isn’t responsible of a parent to spend all of the months money on clothes and not be able to buy food or pay the bills, just because they didn’t want to limit their children’s clothing allowance. 

Planning is key.  If you have any ideas or comments that you would like to add, I would love to hear from you.   My next Back to School segment will be about any other preparations that might be needed before the school year starts.

Recipe: Butter Spread

I love making my own butter spread.  Have you seen some of the ones today, some contain omega 3 fish oils.  I personally have to be careful, because I have an allergy to fish.  They cost quite a bit for something that should only contain butter, salt and vegetable oil. 
Example:  Great Value Light Cardio Choice Buttery Spread (I used this, and now reuse the container when making my own butter spread).
Butter isn’t listed. 

1. Water
2. Premium Oil Blend (Canola, Soybean, Palm, Palm Kernel, and Flaxseed)
3. Salt
4. Vegetable Monoglycerides
5. Potassium Sorbate (Preservative)
6. Soybean Lecithin
7. Alpha Tocopherol
8. Acetate (Vitamin E)
9. Citric Acid
10. Artificial Flavor
11. Vitamin B12
12. Vitamin B6
13. Polyglycerol Esters of Fatty Acids
14. Calcium Disodium EDTA
15. Vitamin A Palmitate
16. Beta Carotene
17. Vitamin D3

For our family, the 2 minutes it takes me to throw this recipe together is worth not having all of these “Yummy” ingredients on our table, at every meal.
I came across this a few years ago, I don’t exactly remember where. 

• 1 part salted butter
• 1 part oil (cooking, corn, canola, olive, whatever kind you prefer)

Melt the butter in a heat safe container in the microwave ( I use a Pyrex liquid measuring cup), then measure how much has melted.  Add the same amount of oil to it whisk together until well blended, then pour into an old butter spread container and place in the refrigerator.  Allow to set up, about 3 hours. 
*Spread is meant to be kept in refrigerator, if it does sit out for a long period of time it will melt and need to be put back in refrigerator.
My family doesn’t even notice the difference.  I should say my husband doesn’t seem bothered by this at all.  He is actually happier, because it has real butter in it! 
I would love to hear your thoughts on Butter Spread, and if you try this yourself let me know how it turns out!  Till next time.

Getting Green: Recycling #2, The Full Picture

Researching can sometimes take a little effort, but in the long run you will be benefited by it.  You will be able to make better decisions if you know all of the information.  I started by contacting our privately run waste management company.
To get the phone number to the company we use, I looked on one of my bills…  I found there website on the bill too so I decided to check it out.  When I got to the site, I hunted around for a bit before I called, to see if there was anything else I could ask them about.  I found their recycling page and was amazed.
I found out what they will take, not only curbside, but also if we took specific items to their transfer station (they would take these items for free). 
From Home:

• Pete Plastics #1-#7.
  
• Cans
  
• Glass bottles of any kind.
  
• Paper and Cardboard

At their transfer station:

• Furniture-$
  
• Kitchen Appliances-$
  
• Construction Debris-$
  
• Tires-$
  
• Concrete-$
  
• Mattresses-$
  
• Electronics-FREE

I didn’t realize that they recycled electronics!  Most of the things in our out buildings are electronics.  Craziness!  All this time, wasted, not knowing.  I feel really foolish, but motivated too.  But now we can really get all of that stuff out of there!  That really makes me very happy!
If you are someone that has a lot of clutter, don’t be afraid to do some research.  You could find better choices with another waste management company or you might, like me, learn that the company you use has updated its services.  Definitely weigh all of your options, you have nothing to lose but clutter for doing your homework.  If you have further suggestions that might help, or have any comments please leave them. 

Mix It Up: Left Overs

My kids love leftovers at our house!  We take all of the leftovers out of the refrigerator and let them mix and match them like a buffet for dinner!  Just by swapping the side dishes and entrees, this changes the whole meal and makes it more interesting for the kids.
For example tonight we had:
Meats: 

1. Honey Glazed Ham
2. London Broil
3. Honey Mustard Pork Loin

Starches:

1. White Rice
2. Roasted Potatoes

Vegetables:

1. Mixed Vegetables
2. Roasted Carrots

After the kids made their selections, we lit a few candles on the table, and they pretended like we were in a fancy restaurant.   They love the fact that no one is eating the same thing, and we can create our own special event without there being a holiday.
Mix It Up Points:

• Add Candles
• Add Music
• Use the good dishes
• Use the good silver
• Pull out the nice table cloth and napkins

Life is something to relish in.  Having time with your kids, your spouse, or other family members is something to cherish.  Take some time today to make a special memory with your family.  No special event required!  If you have any other suggestions I would love to hear about them.
My ideas for this came from my mother always living in the moment.
     Two days after Thanksgiving of last year my husband , our 3 kids, 2 nephews and I were heading out to see my father who at the time was very sick with lymphoma.  It started storming really bad and we got into a car accident. Luckily no one was hurt, but I was almost impaled by a road sign.  My mother sick with pancreatic cancer herself, made an incredible dinner with the leftovers from Thanksgiving.  She set the table with her finest table cloth, cloth napkins, silver, best dishes, candles, and serving ware.  She told me “life is what we are here to celebrate, and there isn’t any moment more special than today to focus on that”.   I will share this philosophy with my family, and relish in it.  Thanks again Mom for the lessons and ideas you have given to me, may you rest in peace.

Getting Green: Recycling #1, Seriously

We attempted recycling in the past, but everything was confusing and frustrating.  I recycled our cans, and bottles with #1 & #2 Pete, and we had a little small tote bin sized recycling bin, that was collected every other week. I didn’t really see it as a great benefit, it wasn’t removing a lot from our garbage weekly.  And because it wasn’t collected on the same day as our regular trash, I kept forgetting to get it out to the road.
Our waste management company has a no sorting program.  Seems simple enough, but unless you really take the time and pay attention to everything that they process, you won’t truly see the benefits.   I thought that if I did look into what they took, that I would be more frustrated for seeing what they do not take.  Well I couldn’t have been more wrong.
As I said before in “Getting Green:  Composting #1, The Bin”, we were trying to cut back on how much waste we were sending out each week. We have a few out buildings, that are full of things from the prior owner, that I cannot afford to dispose of.  I thought if we reduced our weekly waste, we could use that money for disposing of the other stuff. 
We had been composting for about 3 weeks and recycling everything we could possibly recycle, and again I missed the recycling truck day.  Ugh!  I called the company and asked for a larger bin, the area where we keep the recycling bin was getting dangerously full.  When I was speaking to the lady I told her that since we started composting and now “really recycling” we hardly have any garbage to go out. 
She was able to change our plan so now we are paying 1/2 the price that we used to.  Wow that's $35.00 a month that we can use towards getting rid of all the old TVs, furniture and junk in the out buildings.  Plus she said she would upgrade our recycle bin to the large one that they have.  Its about a 120 gallon sized can now!  I was able to get everything into it that was starting to collect! 
So not only are we saving money, and helping the planet, but now we are saving our little corner of the world too.  Just by starting a compost bin, the wheel started turning and it kind of took on a life of its own.  Lol!   I am not complaining.
In my next post, I will tell you about what I learned about our waste company, and the bigger benefits that lie ahead for us.  I would love to hear your thoughts on composting and recycling.  Till tomorrow, everyone have a safe and wonderful day!

Skill Building: Beat the Clock

Back on July 17th, in the post entitled “Keeping Skills Sharp During the Summer”, I mentioned this game.  My fourth grade teacher had taught it to us to help us practice our math facts.
This is the diagram that she would put up on the board.

                                                         
Setting Up:
In the center of the circle a + or – or  * or a division sign is placed, with a number from 1-12. 
When you are adding or multiplying the numbers on the outside of the circle can stay the way they are in the diagram above.
But according to what you are subtracting or dividing your numbers would change around the circle. For example, if you are dividing by 5 then your numbers around the clock would be 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 and if you are subtracting by 5 then your numbers would be 6-17. 
Game Play:
You are required to race around the circle as fast as you can by touching the number on the outside of the circle and then announcing its missing member of the fact family.  This can be set at a specific time or you can play to beat your own best score.  For example:  You have a +5 in the center of the circle, so when I touch the #9, I would say 14, then when I touch the #5 I would say 10 and so on. 
In the classroom we did this on a chalk board and held a yard stick to point to each number.  We had to finish the circle within 1 minute.  If we finished we went onto the next number.  So if we were at +5, if I completed it then I would move on to +6 and so on.
This game really adds a fun element to a sort of flash card kind of game.  Hope you give it a try, we love this game and it really refreshes kids memories, during the summer.

Boredom Buster: Become a Puppeteer #3

 In my final posting of this series, we will discuss how to make simple puppets and where to get some functional material to base your plays from.
Puppet Making:
There are many ideas for making puppets.  Here we will show you two ways that we made our puppets.
1.  Paper lunch bags
                                            

                    
2.  From cut-outs printed online.  (using the search for paper dolls, is an excellent way,  that way your puppets even have costumes!  Very Cool!)
                     
                     
                     
                         
Other ideas instead of puppets:
                    
                    
For play ideas we used books or nursery rhymes that the children loved. 

                                           
Being Sunday, my oldest daughter even used her children’s bible to act out stories.  For the most part though, the kids love to just make it up as they go along.
Simplicity is the key here, in order to keep the kids excited over the whole project, they need immediate results.  Over complicating this would have only been a disappointment and a struggle for everyone.  Sometime parents want projects to be perfect, and that's great.  Finding out kids cannot wait that long for results, is a learning lesson.
                            
                     
Yes!  I will admit, we tried to over complicate this in the beginning, by having too high of expectations with our goals (Paper Mache Puppets, Invitations, Title Boards, Theme for our theater).  The kids on the other hand, felt like their teeth were being pulled out, when our project didn’t meet our vision.  Taking a step back, and listening to the kids can help you really find their focus again.  This is why I haven’t been able to finish this project until today.
The children are happy with the outcome, so much that they have been doing puppet shows all day since they woke up this morning.
                                     
                           
                                               
I am so glad this project is complete.  This project was for the kids and with it complete, we can all have the wonderful feeling of accomplishment.  I would love to hear your comments, and any ideas you might want to share.  Until next time, have a great day!

Getting Green: Composting #2, Basics

Composting can be as complicated or as simple as you want.  Depending on how big of a hurry you are in for the end result. We didn't need our compost to be ready until next spring, so we were able to keep it pretty simple.
You need to layer your “browns” and “greens” evenly.  Keep it moist enough so it has a slight dampness, and turn it occasionally.
Browns:(Carbon)

• Dry Leaves-shredded
• Woody plant trimmings-Shrubs, Trees, Dead Perennial Stems, Dried Cornstalks-Shredded
• Paper Products-Shredded Paper: Confidential, used paper towels, uncoated paper plates. Wet Cardboard, and Cereal Boxes.
• Straw-grain leftover straw
• Pine Needles- Use sparingly
• Sawdust-High in carbon
• Peat Moss
• Wood Ash

Green: (Nitrogen)

• Kitchen scraps- coffee filters, cut flowers, crushed eggshells, breads, tea bags, vegetable trimmings, fruits, pasta, rice and crushed nutshells(not walnut).
• Grass clippings
• Feathers
• Hair
• Leaves
• Algae
• Seaweed

You cannot just throw anything into your compost pile/bin and expect it to decompose, or be safe.  Use only the things on the list.  We have yet to have problems with wild life disturbing it.  If you were to throw things into it not listed above you could have problems with animals. 
Great Resources for my information:

• “Composting for Dummies”-Cathy Cromell
• Urban Garden Center

I hope that this helps everyone that might have an interest in reducing the garbage that you send out.  Please comment, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Getting Green: Composting #1, The Bin

Composting is a great idea, for many reasons.  We chose to compost to reduce the amount of garbage we pay to discard weekly, and to create fertile soil for a future garden.  Here is how we made our compost bin.
Materials:

• 3 Pallets (free, discarded locally)
  
• 1 Roll of Steel Safety Wire ($2.50 Home Depot)

Tools:

• Garden Rake
  
• Round Tipped Shovel
  
• Wire Cutters
  
• Work Gloves, to protect your hands

Instructions: 1.  We first found an area that would be easily accessible even during the winter months. It's also an area close to where we plan to use the soil it produces. The area should also be located in a hidden spot as to not draw attention and be an eyesore.  2.  Next lay out the area by cutting away and removing the top layer of sod. Approximately 2-3 inches deep ensuring to remove all grass root systems. The area should be the same length plus the height of 2 pallets.                                                  3.  Next we placed the Pallets next to each other forming a U shape structure. Wiring it together with twists of wire. Leaving the front open ensures easy accessibility to add materials and rotate the materials later throughout the process.                                                   4.  As my husband was wiring the pallets, I softened up the dirt underneath the sods we pulled out to allow worms to eat our compost.                                                   5.  After all 3 pallets were assembled, we placed a layer of hay on the bottom.  We shook some of the sod over the hay to make a sprinkling of dirt over the hay.  Then we added some food scraps that we had been collecting.  We shook out  more sod over the layer of food scraps, then we made another layer of hay.  Again we shook out sod to create another layer of soil atop the hay.                                                    6.  Lastly we sprayed water over the top of our compost lasagna and were finished.                                                   Kids naturally love learning through hands on experiences.  My kids are having so much fun with this project that they look for ways to help.
In my next post I will go into more specifics about what can be composted. 
In future blogs entitled “Getting Green” I will explain how taking recycling more seriously has helped our family budget and opened up opportunities that we didn’t know were out there.

Boredom Buster: Independence

Today the weather was gray and miserable.  The sun did come out for a bit then ran away again.  My younger daughter and my son wanted something to do and they together came up with a splendid idea.  They each took turns choreographing a dance routine, and then practiced it until they thought they were spot on.  Then they put on a show.  It was so much fun, watching them dance together and get along with each other while doing something of their own creation. 
The kids have fun coming up with things all of the time, to kill the boredom.  They are their worst critics and biggest fans to one another.  Keeping a distanced eye on them, allows them to learn the social building skills that they will require in school.  It is great to be able to see them work out their problems without help from me.  It shows us as parents that we are giving them enough freedom to grow and build self confidence.
Its is great to come up with things for you and your kids to do, but it will consume you and make them dependent on you for solutions to their boredom.  Allowing them to find their own way, and still have the needed limits is essential.  They still know the rules and know they will be expected to follow them.  Hope Everyone is having a wonderful summer.  Please tell us about some amazing things that your kids are coming up with by themselves. 

Boredom Buster: Charades

On rainy days like these, a game that is filled with action gets the whole family involved.  We love charades especially when the little ones try to act out the words they choose.  It is great fun to see where there imagination takes them.
We actually have the board game Charades for Kids.  It is pretty neat, because there are cards with the pictures on them, so my 4 year old can even do it for himself pretty well.
Now when I was young, we used to all sit down for about 15 minutes and come up with as many words as we could think of, then write them down and throw them into a bucket or bowl.  Each of us would take turns pulling one out and acting out the word.  I don’t really remember keeping score, it was just more fun to play. 
If you don’t have a large storage baggie already set up for this purpose, I found a few places online that have excellent words that you can use for a quick game of Charades.  With a little planning ahead you could make some wonderful memories, playing too.  The main thing is to get everyone involved and have fun.
Websites:
Charades word Generator by Evolutionary Games inc.
Printable cards By Charades-ideas.com
Game word list by yourdictionary.com
Charade categories and idea's by Gracecentered.com

Snacks In No Time: Hot Cocoa

It is a gray miserable day today, and now it is raining cats and dogs.  I wonder where that sentiment came from… On cold winter days or during rainy days, I try to make something special to keep the family in good spirits.
In our family we love Hot Cocoa.  We like it best made from scratch, but we do buy the mix, or sometimes I make the mix also.  We pull out the special mugs, and make cookies to go with our warm mugs of joy.

Hot Cocoa
Ingredients

• 1 cup of milk
  
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
  
• 2 Tbsp. Sugar
  
• 1 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder
  
• a dash of salt

Instructions
Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl.  Heat milk in microwaveable container, until hot.  We use a 4 cup plastic liquid measuring cup.  Add vanilla and dry ingredients to milk and whisk until frothy and mixed. Pour into mugs and serve with freshly baked cookies.

Hot Cocoa Mix
Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups Sugar
  
• 1 cup Cocoa Powder
  
• 2 tsp. Salt
  
• 1/2 cup Dry Milk.

Instructions
Mix all ingredients and place into a sealed container.
To Use: 

• 2 Tbsp. of Mix
  
• 1 Cup Hot Milk
  
• splash of vanilla.

Add all ingredients to a mug and mix.  Enjoy.

Mix It Up: Fresh Wild-Berry Pancakes

While my family was visiting us the other day, we wanted to make a special breakfast.  My oldest daughter went out and picked fresh blackberries and raspberries, since they grow right around our house. 
We used pancake mix and made pancakes as usual.  We added a few berries to the top of the batter as it was cooking, then flipped them.  We just wanted to make it a little more special, and still keep it simple. 
Trying recipes that are already your favorites and adding just a little flair can really make them more special. 
Add ins to pancake mix or waffle mix:

• Sprinkles
  
• Chocolate chips
  
• Mini marshmallows
  
• Frozen berries
  
• Chopped nuts
  
• M&M minis
  
• Chopped Apples mixed in Cinnamon Sugar
  
• Crushed Toffee Bits
  
• Chopped Candy bars
  
• Shredded Coconut
  
• Banana chunks or mashed
  
• Pumpkin Puree
  
• Instant Coffee
  
• Crispy Bacon
  
• Fresh or frozen berries
  
• Poppy Seeds and Lemon Zest
  
• Uncooked Oatmeal
  
• Fiber One cereal that has been powdered in a blender.

Toppings for pancakes or waffles:

• Frozen berries cooked down with sugar, honey or maple syrup added to them then blended to a sauce.  If seedy, strain then mix with a tsp. of corn starch for thickening. 
  
• Whipped Cream
  
• Apple Butter
  
• Brown Sugar and butter
  
• Fresh Fruits
  
• Honey
  
• Maple Syrup
  
• Chocolate, Caramel, Marshmallow, or Strawberry syrup.
  
• Yogurt
  
• Sweet Cream Spread

Most importantly mix things up and have fun with it.  Giving kids variety and choices are excellent ways to get them to eat.  Let me know what you think.  Enjoy your family and make a fun memory.

Boredom Buster: Local Arts

When I was a child I grew up in an town where there was a local center for the arts.  They had plays, local artists artwork, classes for kids that involved crafts, dance, and musicals.  The art center was a place I treasured as a child.  I remember going there for:

• dance classes
  
• making paper
  
• egg decorating with wax
  
• plays
  
• an amazing haunted house at Halloween
  
• musicals

I loved the atmosphere there, and I strive in my adulthood to share these qualities with my own children.  Allowing creativity is truly calming and uplifting in a world of chaos.  Having those impressions so early really has allowed me to find the art in every craft.  Whether it be cooking, writing, interior decorating, home making, parenting, boat building or even gardening.  Art can be anything where people can find the beauty within. 
That art center has now expanded to share there shows with the entire region.  Amazing!  I love the value that it has brought to the area and local communities.  Spreading beauty in a time of darkness raises peoples spirits to allow us all to continue to grow.
Just the other day I took my daughters and one of their friends to a Shakespearian play on the beach.  I mean how cool is that!  I had to explain to them what was happening at times, but sharing this event with them expands their views on what is really possible in this world.  Dreaming big shouldn’t be condemned it should be embraced.
Check out your local newspapers, public radio websites, and flyers that come to you in the mail.  Maybe you too have something in your area.  Even if you think that it might be some lame artsy fartsy idea. Keep looking until one sparks your interest even slightly, give it a try and then let me know!   I would love to hear your thoughts on this. 

Boredom Buster: Outdoor Theater

I have seen a few ways to make an outside theater.  The first time I saw it, I fell in love with the idea.  I even want to build a deck in the future,  keeping this idea in mind.  It is less expensive then a drive in and it gets the family outside on these peaceful  summer evenings. 
Outdoor Theater Ideas:

1. Get a video projector, a DVD player, speakers and a white sheet then set them up outside, either in a garden or on a deck.
   
2. Get a flat screen TV, a DVD Player, and Speakers then set the up either in a garden or on a deck.
   
3. My portable, yet smaller version:  We took my 15” laptop onto the back deck and set it up.  Granted its not huge, but until we can afford a different way, that doesn’t tear apart our whole living room, this really does work beautifully.  You could connect the computer up to a set of desktop speakers for a more abundant sound.

My kids wanted so much to watch movies last night, that we set their tent up on the deck.  Then we set my laptop up inside the tent with them (making sure to give the fan clearance not to overheat, we set it on a bed tray) and they had a double feature.  Dampness can ruin electronics, so we brought in my computer and tray after the movies were over.  The kids slept in the tent all night and had a wonderful time.
Without the mosquitos, getting home so late and worrying about driver not seeing kids in the dark, the tent version is a safer and better option to the drive in theater for kids.  They loved it so much that they want to do it again tonight.

• If you have a subscription to Netflix, or Amazon Prime, you could have streaming movies, using the laptop version as well.

I would love to hear your comments, or if you have another way that I didn’t mention, please share.  Have a great summer everyone.

Living By Example

This past fall when my world was falling to pieces, and my parents were both dying, I learned to be constructive instead of destructive.  Every family has its faults and troubles without going into the nitty gritty, so do we.  My siblings and I hadn’t really been tight since childhood.  My parents divorced when I was a baby and we weren’t ever really all that close.
I realized the possibility of both of our parents dying was inevitable.  We would lose the glue that forced us to deal with each other, forever.  Being the youngest, and knowing that I want better for my own kids made me see that I needed to do something, fast.  If only to give my parents the peace of knowing that we would be ok, and that we would truly be there for each other.
I explained this to my sister and two brothers, and we all worked really hard on accepting one another.  We helped each other through the passing of my mother.  And now we can share in the victory of my fathers remission. 
My oldest brother is in the military, and I am so proud of his service to our country.  He will be leaving on another deployment very soon.  Again the foundation of our sibling unity will be tested.  He came to visit us recently and I am so grateful, for the opportunity to visit with him.  My prayers and thoughts will be with him, on his next challenge.
Writing this blog has made me really focus on my newly revived philosophy.  Don’t take any moment for granted, you can look at the bumps in life as a personal insult towards yourself or you can look at them for the life lessons that they are and do something about it.  Thank you Mom for the lesson you taught us with your life.  I will be eternally grateful and appreciative, and I miss you.
God chose my family, I chose my friends.  I chose to befriend my family, and am eternally blessed.

Boredom Buster: Camping

We bought tents about 3 years ago.  They have been packed away in the garage, and today I pulled them out.  I set them up on the front lawn to air them out and to make sure that we still had all of the pieces to them.  Well, we do need a few extra pieces and a repair kit before we do any real deep woods camping.  But now I have them in an air tight container ready to roll and we know what needs to be done to them to get them up to par. 
We chose dome tents, for ease of set up.  My husband had always done the setting up before.  Hmmm, well until today, when I had the task of setting all three of them  up by myself.  I figured it out, and was able to do it with a little help from the kids.  Actually, I was glad they helped me out… this taught all of us, how to do it.  Kind of like a trial run.
My youngest two, kept running in and out of them excited about the mere idea of camping.  My 4 year old wanted to sleep in them tonight, he didn’t care that they were on the front lawn.  But before the sun set and the dew settled, I packed them back up.  Knowing a camping trip would be in the near future, my son even helped us pack them up.  Ah!  I was so proud of him.
Even though we didn’t  go camping today, it did renew my hope to do so also.  I always loved camping, and it brought back peaceful memories of childhood.  A sense of adventure and nature.  Now we can’t go camping soon enough.  I cannot wait, even if it will probably only be in the backyard on a weekend for this summer.  
I would love to hear from you, about your memories of camping and adventures.  Until next time I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful fulfilling summer!