Glamping Checklists

Ah, nature. You keep doing you!

Ah, camping. I truly have a love-hate relationship with it. Living in Colorado, it’s almost a residency requirement to camp at least once a year. Don’t get me wrong; I love the peace and quiet, the beautiful views, the smells of nature, the night skies. 

But…wait for it…I HATE the dirt, the disorganization, the general grumpiness I feel from sleeping on the ground. Who's with me? 

Here she is. Our comfy little home away from home. 

This summer, our family ventured into the world of pop-up camping. Much more “glamp” worthy than our usual tenting excursions! A church friend of ours loaned us the pop-up for the summer (which we just decided to acquire permanently). This has been a total game-changer for me! Sleeping on a mattress several feet off the ground is already an immediate improvement. Having lots of space for storage, running water, electricity, a real table and chairs to sit on…oh, joy!

After our maiden voyage, though, I still suffered from the stress of camping chaos. So I vowed to clean and re-organize that pop-up like a boss. I started a checklist (shocker, right?) of items we would need/want on EVERY camping trip we take in the pop-up (don’t worry if you are a tent camper or have a HUGE RV, this list can be useful for you, too).

From this checklist, I created a smaller list of the staple items that we will keep constantly stored in the pop-up. I keep copies of this checklist and a highlighter in the pop-up so that as we begin running low on some of our stored staples (i.e. AA batteries, dish soap, etc…), I can highlight the items on the list to be sure I restock before the next trip. There are also extra spaces in case I come up with any "new" ideas to add to the camper on our return home. 

GREAT TIP: I’ve learned that cleaning, re-organizing, and re-stocking as soon we return from one trip -albeit exhausting - makes the next trip’s prep so much easier and less stressful.

Campfire cooking is easy and delicious when you plan ahead. 

I also created easy printable templates for creating camping menus and grocery/food lists, which will make like so much easier. I have items on the grocery/food that we’ll need every time with PLENTY space for adding items later. 

These lists have cut the prep work from camping in half. Having the permanent storage in the pop-up has, as well. Designating a few labeled Rubbermaid bins and a shelf in the garage specifically for camping gear and staples is also a huge time-saver.

Hope you find these free checklists and templates helpful and easy to use. If you have any suggestion that I can add to my VERY fluid camping checklist, please share them in the comments below. Happy camping, everyone!

Now, it's time to organize that pop-up! Stay tuned for a future camping post where I share some of my cheap and simple organization tips and tricks. Dollar Tree, here we come...

FREE PRINTABLE: Ultimate Pop-up Glamping Checklist PDF
FREE PRINTABLE: Camping Menu Planner and Itemized Camping Grocery List PDF
FREE PRINTABLE: Pop-up Camper Replenishment List

Family Movie in the Park

One of my family’s favorite summer traditions is attending our neighborhood Movie Night in the Park. This summer, our neighborhood hosted 2 move night events: Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Inside Out. We had a terrific time at both events!

This is our fourth year in a row attending these outdoor family movies, and I have learned A LOT about enhancing our family fun and comfort. As a notorious list-maker, I decide to put together a list that can be easily edited, so I’d never again forget an important item.

And as a themed-food super fan, I've also put together a collection of Family Movie Night pins featuring cute and clever food ideas for a variety of family-friendly movies. There are some super-simple meals, snacks, and treats to delight kids (and adults) of all ages!

Hopefully, you’ll find this list a step in the right direction for preparing your family for an “epic” outdoor movie night.

Any ideas you’d like to share with me? Please add your favorite tips and ideas to the comments below. Cue the fun!

Family Movie Night in the Park List (Word)
Family Movie Night in the Park List (PDF)

All Aboard!

You know the old aphorism. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step" and blah, blah, blah. Well, after years of friends telling me I should start a blog, here I go.

Now, my journey of imperfection isn't really "beginning" today. I've been imperfect for a LONG time. Always striving to get it right, but often missing the mark. And that's okay! This whole new era of being the "perfect" parent, wife, teacher, neighbor, Christian, and having the "perfect" home, vacation, job, bank account, body. Ay-yi-yi! The pressure is on higher than ever!

So starting today, I will aim to do my best, but be happy with just being ok. I'm tired of keeping up ith the Jones's. Tired of trying to be Pinterest perfect. Tired. Just tired. But, I will soldier on!

So today, in addition to starting my blog (thanks to the amazing inspiration and tips from Somewhat Simple and The Blog Stylist), I am also embarking on a few other "journeys".

Remember earlier when I mentioned that whole "perfect" body thing? Well, this mama needs to shed a few pounds. Yes, I want to look better, but I also want to FEEL better (a recent visit to the doc revealed higher-than-I'd-like cholesterol). Oh, remember earlier when I mentioned not being Pinterest "perfect"...I lied. I found this great Couch to 5K info graphic. And with the encouragement of my great friend "M" (you're going to hear a lot about her), today I took that first step! Needless to say, I am not a good runner! 2 minutes, and I was sure I was going to have a heart attack. But again, I did my best, and it was FAR from perfect. But I'll be out there pounding that pavement again tomorrow morning. On a side note, I did LOVE that time to myself in the cool Colorado morning air. If nothing else, that will keep me going.

Not to overuse this whole "perfect" thing, but remember earlier when I mentioned the whole "perfect" job thing? Well, to make a long story short, my husband "J" has been unemployed for a while (be prepared to hear a lot about him, too). Which hasn't been such a bad thing. My house is always clean, the kids get to spend time with him (you'll hear a WHOLE LOT about these two), I get to spend more time with him, etc... He was really unhappy with his previous career, and he hasn't had much luck finding a new job. So...we've decided to start our own business! We figure if you can money doing what you love, it's a win-win! So he's starting his own handy-man business. We've just finished applying for our general business license, so it's all systems go! The Frugal Millionaire's blog on starting your own handyman business was HUGE in helping us get started. This is a MAJOR first step of faith and hope, but we're determined.

No journey is perfect, but I am blessed to be on this one. Quite a few journeys beginning today, and like with any vacation I leave on, I am anxious...anticipating the excitement, the adventures, the new friends and experiences; but also nervous about the possible delays, the things that could go wrong, getting lost, etc... But my baggage is packed and ready to go! All aboard this crazy train!