I have to say that the last 4 years have been on the challenging side for my little family culminating with me being diagnosed with cancer in September of 2011. When December 31, 2011 came around I felt a wash of hope come over me. I felt as though a darkness was lifting and the light was breaking thru. I declared that 2012 was going to be OUR year. I felt it. Cancer changes a lot of how I look at the world and how I look at myself. I have always considered myself to be a grateful person in life but now I am truly appreciative of even the little things in my life.
I watched Oprah’s interview with Lady Gaga and she talked about her gratitude journal from when she was a little girl. She even read an entry from it. I was moved by how she started journaling her gratitude as a young girl, it made her an adult who is grateful for every step of her life’s journey. Feeling inspired by Gaga, off I went to Winners and bought 4 journals. 1 for each of my older girls and 1 for Brent and 1 for me. The twins are too little to write but when they’re old enough, they too will get journals.
Every night before bed we all reflect on our day and write down at least 3 things we are thankful for.
Tonight I will write:
May 10, 2012
1) My daughters learning how to play chess for the first time.
2) The loving hugs I get when I come home from only being away for 3 hours.
3) Snow capped mountains and a blue sky with new buds greening up the trees.
What are you grateful for? Do you have a gratitude journal?
Last night this happened…
Stella is brushing her teeth in the bathroom while Brigette is in her room writing in her Gratitude Journal. Stella couldn’t have been alone in the bathroom for more than 60 seconds. I have already put toothpaste on their brushes for them. When Stella is finished brushing she goes to her room and then Brigette goes to brush her teeth. As soon as she starts her electric toothbrush she makes a face and mumbles something about the toothpaste tasting like soap? Of course, being the no-nonsense kind of mom that I am, I totally wave it off and tell her to keep brushing. “Don’t be silly, I put the toothpaste on your brush myself. It’s fine, just keep brushing.” After she’s done brushing she spits and spits and spits and spits. “THAT was NOT toothpaste Mom!!!”
While Brigette is in the bathroom drinking and spitting water to rinse the taste out, I go to the girls’ room to talk to Stella.
me: “Stella, did you put soap on Brigette’s toothbrush?” (trying not to crack a smile or giggle)
stella: “No.” (with an expression on her face that she is offended that I would even ask the question)
me: “Are you sure?” (head tilt)
stella: (nods head while still looking at me with that offended furrowed brow)
me: “ok then” (loving smile and a kiss good-night)
She then rolls over in bed and pulls the blankets up to her chin. I leaned over her just enough to see that she is grinning from ear to ear. You know the grin. The one that you do when you rob a bank and no one gets hurt and you didn’t get caught and you’re safely in Costa Rica? No? Just me then? Ok, and we move on.
(pause to suppress something between laughter and rage)
I got her out of bed and into the bathroom. Made her apologize to her sister for putting soap on her brush. I also apologized to Brigette for making her brush her teeth with soap on her brush. (bad mommy)
And like every mom, there comes a point where soap becomes more than a tool to kill germs and turns into a teaching aide. Many of us learned this same lesson as kids for various reasons. (but how come you can say “fuck” but I can’t?) It’s no wonder kids don’t want to wash their hands…they know, they just know.
I put a pea sized amount of hand soap on Stella’s brush and gave it to her to brush her teeth. She lasted about 15 seconds and then spit it out.
She was sorry.
I forgave her.
There was no yelling.
She went to bed.
I cracked open this book and started reading.
When Brent came home I told him the story and we both laughed to tears. Keep an eye on Stella. She’s gonna be a firecracker when she’s older. Oh, how I love her so!
If you’ve read my bio, you know that I LOVE ME SOME LISTS! And as a self proclaimed RVing expert, I have compiled another list but this time it’s tips to help you get your camping on without getting your stress on.
Tip: When you’re stocking your RV for the first time, it’s like outfitting another home so look for deals where you can. Use duplicate items that you may have in your own home. Shop at your local thrift store, dollar store or online source like Kijiji. Ask family and friends if they have old or extra items they want to get rid of like old towels, plastic dishes, extra cutlery, etc.
Tip: With 4 kids we have A LOT of clothes. Every spring I go thru their closets and pull out all the old, stained, cheap, excess clothes for the season. These become our camping clothes. The laundry gets done when we return home and the clothes go right back into the trailer. I stock up on sun shirts, swim bottoms and sun hats. Leaving clothes in the trailer cuts down on my prep/packing time for each trip.
Tip: Depending on the climate you’re camping in, pack for any and all kinds of weather. We camp in the Rocky Mountains so we plan for everything from 32+ degree days and -1 degree mornings. Fleece is your friend. Rubber boots are a MUST. With warm socks they’re better than winter boots for keeping the troops dry in the dewy mornings.
Tip: Our trailer is set up with quad bunks in 1 room. This room is used as a bedroom, playroom, craft room, storage room and closet. My kids sleep in sleeping bags instead of sheets and quilts. Sleeping bags make for quickly making the beds and they’re light weight. And if one of them wants to have a camping sleepover at a friends trailer, they can take their sleeping bag with them. My kids end up playing in their bunks and think of it as their private space for their toys or reading. A sleeping bag makes it easy to strip the bed so it’s a flatter surface to play. Besides, it is still “camping”, you might as well use some camping gear in your house on wheels.
Tip: While I do have a large variety of games, colouring books, crayons, scissors, glue and books to keep the kids happy, sometimes they just want their favourite toys from home. I give each kid 1 rubber bucket they can fill with their own toys. These toys are then stored in their bunk room in those same buckets. This also controls the amount they are allowed to bring with us.
Tip: Glitter was sent to this world from the devil himself. No Glitter!
Tip: If you’re camping in a wooded area where there are random fallen trees, you might be able to find yourselves some great walking/bear protecting sticks. Trim the sticks to about shoulder height and then strip the bark with a knife. Once the sticks are dried out for at least 24 hours, paint and decorate them with bells, feathers, streamers, etc.
Tip: Each person in our family has an emergency whistle on a lanyard. As a rule, when we go for a hike or walk-about, each person should have their walking stick and a whistle. When we are not using them they hang on a hook inside the door to the trailer.
Tip: Home Depot sells small pots of paint samples for $5 each. I asked for exterior paint and picked out 6 different fun colours. The pots are the perfect size for small projects like walking sticks and bird houses. While you’re there, pick up a bunch of foam brushes in different sizes. They’re cheap and disposable.
Tip: Home Depot also sells reusable wall decals in a variety of themes. I got a forest animal themed set and let each of the girls decorate the walls around their bunk beds. And because they’re removable with no damage, I can easily take them off if they grow out of them or we sell our trailer.
Tip: 3M removable hooks are your friend! We have many of them in all sorts of sizes. Keys, hats, flashlights, whistles, towels…you can’t have enough hooks.
Tip: Line all the cupboards and pantry shelves with non slip stuff. You can buy it in a roll and cut it to size. This will keep all your dishes from sliding around while in transit.
Tip: Have fun and make memories!
Do you have an RVing tip? Leave it in the comments below and I will add it to my list. Like this article? Feel free to Pin It!
Spring is here and the RV dealerships are buzzing with excited families looking to get in the camping game. So now that you bought yourself a camper trailer, what do you do next? You PACK!
We are hard core campers…and by hard core I mean we camp in a 32 foot trailer that has a TV, microwave and sleeps 30 people comfortably. I do not claim to be a back country, tenting, hunter-gatherer, survivalist but I think that trailer camping with 4 kids for almost 7 years with NO hook-ups makes me pretty hard core. And the year we went camping with our then 3 1/2 month old preemie twins plus our 2 older kids, having to bring the electric double breast pump along as my form of personal torture was the year I earned my “bad-ass camper” badge. So I guess that all makes me a good resource for all things trailer camping related.
I have compiled a list of items you’d need to pack a new trailer and some tips and tricks of the trade. Since it’s such a long list I’ve broken it up into 2 posts.
OUTSIDE:
level (you’ll need this to make sure your unit is levelled after you unhitch it from the truck…unless you have an auto level, you’re too fancy for me)
outdoor rug (if you’re camping in a campground then the rug defines your front yard to fellow campers and a rug is a “clean” zone for you to hang outside)
citronella candles
light weight garbage can with lid (keeps the garbage covered from wasps..don’t forget to put the whole can away at night to avoid animals)
garbage/recycling bags
flash lights with extra batteries
head lamps (great for the kids to walk around at night hands free)
camp chairs (duh)
small shoe rack (set just to the side of your steps to go inside this rack will keep the many shoes off the ground and out of the trailer)
BBQ lighter
wiener/marshmallow roasting forks
basic tool set (just like at home, shit happens and stuff breaks…be prepared)
picnic table (we have never camped in a proper campground so we bring our own table. Some campgrounds will provide a picnic table with your site but be sure to check when booking. We got THIS folding picnic table at Costco. It easily seats 8 )
water shoes (if there’s a beach or lake nearby you’ll want everyone to wear some form of shoes that give the kids grip and stay on their feet..Crocs come off too easily)
lifejackets (safety first)
plastic wash basin or tub (fill it with water from your outdoor shower hose and clean off the kids feet and legs before they go inside.)
outdoor games (T-ball, soccer ball, football, frisbee, hackysack, botchy ball, horseshoes)
inflatable float toys (compact and easy to store, a must if you camp near water)
bug catching gear (my kids spend hours hunting down grasshoppers and butterflies, the right tools keep them even busier)
INSIDE:
plastic dishes (the usual suspects…plates small and large, bowls, cups, mugs, wine glasses. The kid collection at Ikea is ideal for campers)
cutlery (Value Village is a great resource for stocking your trailer if you don’t have extra stuff at home you can spare)
toaster
Bodum type coffee maker (if you have power hook-ups you could have an electric coffee maker but there may come a time where you don’t have power to run it…you’ll always have propane or an open fire to boil water!)
stove top kettle (the old school kind that boils on the stove top, yes they do still make them, who knew?)
banana hanger (not to be confused with a banana hammock)
Lysol wipes (instead of storing different cleaners and paper towels I just get a big container of cleaning wipes and use them to clean all surfaces)
garbage can with step open lid
tin foil/plastic wrap (if you plan on BBQing foil packs on the fire you’ll need the heavy duty foil. Can you say, Banana Boats?)
napkins
small set of pots (small, medium and large pots and a frying pan or two and if you like corn on the cob then a large corn pot would be great too)
strainer
dish drying rack
drying mat (I got THIS one from Bed Bath & Beyond and I love it!)
dish towels
biodegradable dish and hand soap
hand sanitizer
refillable water bottles for everyone
drinking water dispenser (we got a cheap “lemonade” type dispenser at Costco and we fill it with drinking water)
fly swatters
cutting board
can opener
wine opener (unless you drink that high end fancy wine with the screw top)
bottle opener
broom and dust pan (there will be more grass inside than outside)
small vacuum (for carpeted areas)
laundry bag or basket (thousands of pounds of laundry will be created from a week of camping)
beach towels
oven mitts
bathing towels
first aid supplies (a wise mom once told me, “busy kids get boo-boos” so be prepared to fix them up as if you were at home…bandaides, painkillers, Polysporin, after bite, bug spray, sunscreen, brush and hair elastics)
duct tape (fixes everything!)
Phew, that’s a long list but I’m sure that once you spend even 1 day camping in your new trailer you’ll discover a list of things to add that will make RV life even better. In addition to the list above would be all the food, clothing and linens. I hope this list helps get you started. My next article will be tips and tricks for happy campers.
Do you have anything you’d add to my long list of essential items? Leave me a comment and I’ll add it to the list.
This soup has been a cold weather staple in our house for a long time. Yesterday we got a spring winter storm with more than 10cm of snow. Soup seemed logical so I changed it by adding a gluten-free, wheat-free, organic quinoa pasta and I think it’s damn near perfection! I use mostly organic ingredients and after checking all my ingredients, I’ve found that it’s also a sugar free meal! We are not a gluten-free house but I do think that having G-free meals once a day are as important to our health as having meatless meals once in a while. Variety is the key to ultimate health. The kids loved it and Brent (the husband) was very impressed that I managed to make my awesome soup even awesomer!
2 medium carrots diced small
2 stalks celery diced
1 small onion diced small
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes
2 cups of broth (veggie or beef)
1 1/2 cups water
1 pound of your favourite meatballs (uncooked) (my recipe below if you don’t have one)
150g (about half of a 300g bag) Anelli wheat-free, gluten-free, vegan, organic pasta (GoGo Quinoa brand)
In a large slow cooker, combine all ingredients EXCEPT pasta. Stir and cover. Turn slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours. 20 minutes before you want to eat, boil a pot of water (season with salt if desired, I never do), add quinoa pasta and cook as directed. Keep a close eye on the pasta as you don’t want to over cook it. Stir frequently. Once pasta is done, drain. Spoon some pasta in the bottom of each bowl and ladle meatball soup over top. Mix pasta and soup gently. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan if desired.
ENJOY!
Mama’s Meatballs
1 pound of organic lean ground beef
1/2 cup of gluten free bread crumbs or Panko crumbs OR 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup crumbs
1 egg
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
Mix by hand. Take about 1-1 1/2 tbsp of meat and roll into a ball. Add raw meatballs to slow cooker with soup.
We own some land in British Columbia and every winter our neighbour tracks big cats with his dogs. He does not kill or harm the animals he simply tracks them and photographs them. This kitty is the most beautiful one he’s found so far.
I was one of the lucky folk who obtained free tickets to see the popular TV show, LIVE! with Kelly that was being filmed in Banff on April 1 & 2. After applying to get the free random tickets thru the LIVE! with Kelly website I tried to wait patiently but as a well known fact, I find it very hard to wait for anything much less patiently. Thru twitter I found that Brewsters Vacations was offering cheap hotel room packages that included free tickets to see the show. I jumped on it. I got a double room at the Mount Royal hotel on Banff Ave for $75/pp and free tickets to the taping of our choice. It worked out perfect. My date was my friend, Joan.
The 24 hours we spent in Banff was a blast. Being a part of a live filming for an internationally popular show was exciting but spending the rest of the day wondering the shops of Banff (kid free), enjoying a luxurious 3 hour dinner (kid free) and sleeping in the hotel (kid free) were all equally exciting for 2 moms who have 7 kids between us. In fact, my friend Joan confessed that this 24 hour jaunt to Banff was her first girls getaway since her first child was born more than 6 years ago! Long over due but sure to be repeated! I was so happy that she was able to enjoy some girl time away from her life and busy schedule. Every mom needs girl time just as much as husband time.
This is a little of my dirt…share a little of yours with me.
Do you get away for a little “girl” time with friends? When was the first time you got away after the kids came?
On March 12th my twin daughters turned 4! We had a wonderful little gathering with almost 40 of our closest friends, family and kids. I hired a magician and of course my Auntie made the beautiful cake. The girls were spoiled and spotlighted all day and I felt so fortunate to have that much joy and love in my home. Of course, March also signals the beginning of “cake season” in our family. With 2 birthdays in March, 2 in April, 2 in May, 2 in June, 2 in July, too many in August and the last in September. If you add up all the cake over that block of time, that’s a lot of cak-ories. Now ordinarily I’d be able to use my super powers and say “no thank-you” to the offer of birthday cake but if you’ve ever seen and eaten the delicious cakes my very talented Auntie makes, you’d have no power either. Her cakes are my kriponite. And so with every birthday that creeps closer and closer, I run longer and harder to counter the kriptonite effect…because yes, I will have my cake and eat it too.
CRASH!!!! (pause) Crying!
My almost 4 year old twin daughter comes down to the kitchen with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She stands at the kitchen table where we are finishing a family dinner with Nana and Papa and smiles. She proceeds to have the following conversation with me with a completely shocked tone in her voice.
Abby: “she can’t fly!”
me: “ummm, what do you mean ‘she can’t fly’? Who can’t fly?”
Abby: “Hilary…she can’t fly…I pushed her and she can’t fly!”
me: “Oh my, is she ok?”
Abby: “no, she’s crying because she can’t fly”
me and the rest of the room: “bahahahahaha”
Don’t you judge me. If there’s no blood and no broken bones then it’s a free for all in the humour department.
Hawaii December 2010
