lately.

insta love. #campbaby
we've been camping.
we lit army tank fireworks.
summer is running past fast.
seth is almost one. i can hardly believe it.
he is so smiley and toothy and red-headed.
life feels so good.
i am picking up drawing again.
and trying not to be so hard on myself.
i am staying up late working on my new shop.
it's going to be stocked full of invitations. i've always dreamt of having a shop full of stationery. here's to making dreams come true. and making the most of the rest of summer vacation.

stay tuned.

recently. / camping edition.

+ my parents camp in style; a springbar tent, quilts and pillows.

+ my sister and i with her daughter preparing for the bubble blowing contest. french braids are a must in the wilderness.

+ campy craftivities. my mom always comes up with the best ideas.

+ pete shares a midnight s'more (available with nutella or dark chocolate pieces). the jury is out on the new stacker mallows. some loved them, some were not so impressed.

+ little cousins clap as the big cousins entertain with a clever skit.

+ singing campfire tunes. the kids love to belt it out as much as their mamas do. (you'll notice that curly hair runs in the family. ask me if i'm bitter about not getting in on the twisty fun.)

+ a little r&r atop my dad's hudson bay blanket. a little people magazine never hurt anyone.

+ a comfy chair for everyone. we play cat's cradle, psychiatrist, black magic, re-tell 'no arms and no legs' jokes and demystify riddles. six is three / three is five / nine is four / ten is three / four is four / zero is four / four is the magic number.

+ oma tells the grands spooky stories just before the sun goes down.

+ i toast my feet by the fire and get in on all the family chit chat. i wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

p.s. the tie-dye shirts for the cousins (and a few awesome adults) were a big hit. everyone loved them. i hope it becomes a tradition.

i love the mountains, i love the rolling hills.

dan took me camping on our honeymoon (and every year after that); to me, the mountains are magic. do you have any favorite camp out tips or camping memories?

happy fourth of july.

take a peek at our camping memories. 
taking benji camping for the first time.
family camping Q&A and even s'more kiddie camping tips
the time we camped in montana
camp out essentials
dan packing up the gear (on cloud nine)
seeing a bear, a buffalo and snow in yellowstone.

image sources: 01 / 02 / 03 / 04 / 05

family camping Q&A

thanks for all the kind words about our yellowstone camping trip. sounds like so many of you have made happy memories there. i wanted to wrap up my vacation posts up by answering your camping questions in a little Q&A session. here goes. if you have any other camping related questions, feel free to ask in the comment section. head over to my formspring page if you have general questions for me.

Q. What do you like to put inside your tinfoil dinners?
A. we like to include the basics; ground beef (or steak), onion soup mix, chopped sweet potatoes or classic idaho potatoes, baby carrots, onions and seasoning. i really enjoyed stephanie's great tutorial about making tinfoil dinners. be sure to fold it up tight and jot your name on it with a permanent marker.

campfire cooking should always be a little bit experimental. we brought along some refrigerated dinner roll dough and wrapped it up in buttered tinfoil and cooked it for 10 minutes on the coals. we've also cored apples and packed kraft caramels, brown sugar and oats inside for an delicious tinfoil apple crisp.

we pack individual instant oatmeal packets in a ziplock with packets of hot chocolate. a breakfast of champions. prepped foods that just need hot water is a perfect quick meal. packets of ramen noodles and easy mac are great for kids.

Q. What type of hiking backpack did you use to carry your toddler in?
A. we borrowed a friend's carrier to use while hiking. (thank you julie!) it was a kelty brand and completely perfect for our needs. dan said it was super comfortable too.

Q. Where did you camp and hike while you were in Montana?
A. we camped out in Hyalite Canyon and hiked Grotto Falls. one of the prettiest places i've been. just driving along the windy woodsy roads was breathtaking.

Q. What are your tips for camping with kids? Do's, don'ts and must haves?
A. like any traveling you do with kids, be prepared! bring along surprise goodies for the road and activities for them to entertain themselves. read my how-to for roadtripping with the family and some of your tips on vacationing with a baby here.

everyone needs their own hat, water bottle, plate / bowl & utensils, warm layers (i loved dressing our son in a warm plaid shirt that had a fuzzy lining inside), sturdy shoes and even a backpack that they can carry. older kids would likely love to snap shots with their own camera!

take along a game of cards, connect four, storybooks, a bottle of bubbles and/or a frisbee. anything that can entertain the kids while waiting for the campfire to get going and water to boil for dinner. this is a good time to get jammies on and go on a walk to meet the neighbors. (we happened to chit chat with a very nice man from holland and see another who slept in a hammock under the stars!) kids love exploring and counting pine cones and spotting squirrels.

be sure to bring their favorite blanket or stuffed animal and some books to make them feel at home. after familiarizing our son with the tent, he went down like a dream. we read him stories, sang a song and tucked him in like we always do.

maintaining an organized living space helps keep me sane while on the road. we separate the smaller camp supplies into three bins. we use a small cooler for ice, juice, milk, butter and anything else that needs to stay cold. a larger cooler holds all other food and snacks (this makes it easy that it's all in one place. i keep cups, dishes and bibs inside too. i keep a small serrated knife–wrapped in a towel–in there for slicing fresh fruit for hungry toddlers.) we also have a medium size clear rubbermaid bin that we call our camping chuck box. it holds our small fold-up camping stove, scissors, an axe, matches, a ziplock of saved up dryer lint for starting fires, spf. and bug spray, tarps, bungee cords, parachute cord, wet wipes, a sharp kitchen knife, a hand towel, a large spoon for stirring, travel size dish soap, and other must-haves for camp outs. after our trip, we clean it out and replace anything that needs replacing and store it away for the next camping trip. half the work is already done! i also keep a list of the contents taped inside the clear container so we know what should be packed inside.

bring along an extra duffle bag to act as a hamper to store all the dirty clothes. prepare to do tons of laundry when you get home! and when you're emptying out the cooler after your trip, put all the leftover perishables away and empty it out. put your camping dishes inside the cooler and take the whole thing to your bathtub. fill up the cooler and wash all the supplies at once with warm water and dishwashing soap. 

Q. What did you do to prepare your Yellowstone camp out itinerary?
A. dan did most of the prep for this trip! he reserved a camp spot online. then he browsed the library and brought home an armful of travel books to plan for yellowstone. these were are three favorite resources:  

Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks by Brian Kevin
The Rangers Guide to Yellowstone by Susan & Phil Frank  
Family Fun in Montana by Chris Boyd  
the PBS National Parks movie with Ken Burns is amazing too.

yellowstone park is so huge, it's like attempting to see the entire Louvre museum in one day! pace yourselves and enjoy all the beautiful surroundings as you go. there are plenty of rangers to tell you about good hikes for your family. bring along some books on cd and enjoy the drive through nature. get some bear spray (and read the directions before you leave)! don't be too nervous about camping at yellowstone. there are plenty of rules set up so there are rarely any troubles with animals coming into the campgrounds. plus, with plenty of campers camping around you, there's a sense of safeness. and if you own a pair of binoculars, be sure to bring them too. most of your animal interaction will be from your own car! you are sure to have a wonderful time together. it's such a perfect excuse to unplug from distractions and enjoy your family's company.

yellowstone crowd pleasers

the old faithful geyser was another fun sight to see. everything feels classic in yellowstone. it's fun to imagine the crowds in the 1950s touring these same sights. however i find it hilarious how this huge crowd gathers around, waiting with cameras ready, we watch and wait for the geyser to storm into the sky. then we all furiously snap the same snapshots of the same thing while four steps away they sell the same image of the same geyser at the visitor's center. and we all view life through a viewfinder instead of with our own eyes. i tried to keep this in mind during our trip and really enjoy the moments, while still managing to take hundreds of photos. it's all in the balance. check out the photo of our family, well two and a half of us, so much for getting the perfect christmas card portrait in yellowstone.




the charming old fashioned yellowstone tour buses were the big hit in our family. benji perked up every single time a bus drove by. bus. bus. bus. i think they made a bigger impression on him than the bear or the elk. with ice cream money from his great-grandma he got his very own bus souvenir. it entertained him the entire time. best trip purchase ever. that and the hot stack of pancakes we got at the cute diner on our last morning there. whipped cream on cocoa never tasted so good. a pretty successful family camp out, i must say. dan is already talking about next time.

specific camping details & answers coming soon.

yellowstone park: part II

proof of snow on labor day. luckily we stayed warm and dry. amazingly, the stars were out that night and we saw the big dipper. there is nothing else like the starry sky when you are out in the woods at night.


me standing in line to wash our load of dishes. it's a little known fact that there is a separate facility for washing dishes and brushing teeth. those activities are not allowed at your individual campsite. who knew bears liked toothpaste? i was more than happy to follow bear safety regulations, picking up every last crumb. do not fall asleep with starbursts, gum, trail mix or pretzels in your pockets like you did at girl's camp. or was that just me?


a huge buffalo just moseying down the road one afternoon.


huge as in ginormous. isn't this a fantastic picture? dan gets all the credit.


here we are at the scenic point of upper falls. i thought it was cute that this ranger suddenly sat down next to the boys to get in our snapshot. benji couldn't be more ecstatic if he were mickey mouse.


we wondered if we'd have a chance to see a real bear in yellowstone. the ranger told us at the program one night that the bears are extra hungry during the fall, as they are gearing up for hibernation. ooh, lovely, i thought. sleep tight everyone. later on our trip, while touring the park, we spotted this guy lumbering up the road! (he was across the street from our car, but thanks to the zoom feature on my camera, it looks like we were closer than we really were.) i love the paw flexed mid-step.

next up: waterfalls and landscapes.
keep your camping questions coming, i'll try to answer them all at the end.

yellowstone park: part I

yellowstone national park. the entrance, the arch, the classic photo op. let me just say, my photos don't do this place justice. i highly recommend seeing it in person.


the mighty elk that caused a major traffic jam. he was a beauty. i guess it's mating season so they can get pretty fierce. no worries, cops were on the scene since this one was wandering so close to our campground. there are hardly any restrictions in this place, so to speak; animals roam free and plenty of cliff drops without fences. (of course there are scenic safe viewing areas for families and even wheelchair access too.) it's the closest i've come to really being in the wild. you have to be on your best behavior in these parts. and be sure to keep your shoes tied in yellowstone. you do not want to trip into a thermal pool.


since so much of yellowstone was experienced from the comfort of our vehicle, i took hundreds of drive-by snapshots. i love when these shots turn out cooler than i could have hoped. i was trying to get a good one of the classic yellow yellowstone bus in the distance. thanks to our little passenger, BUS quickly became the word of the trip. more bus-dedicated photos to come.


the boys are pros at setting up camp. thankfully dan knows how to work a rainfly, we would have been sopping in the morning if i had attempted it.


here we are overlooking what's referred to as the grand canyon of yellowstone. that high ridge held incredible views. however the winds were crazy up there. luckily i caught benji's cap before it blew away forever. we met a father and son up there who were super nice and friendly. (i took a photo of them with their fancy schmancy camera which i held on to with dear life. we were all very close to the edge at that point.)

that's the thing about national parks, strangers become friends to chit chat with and revel in the scenery with. people to swap stories with. in fact, a stranger at the ranger station had suggested that very hike the night before. and, as it happened, later that evening, we told another couple about it who planned on going back and hiking it themselves. all the retired couples loved watching benji. more than one older couple told us it goes so fast. enjoy it while they're little. a couple who had recently become empty nesters told us that it seems like yesterday when their twenty year old was only two. they were glad to see we were starting a family camping tradition early on, like they had. they assured us they were totally okay with benji jumpbing and jabbering during the whole ranger program. people are so nice.


this is norris geyser basin. completely incredible. dan took this picture right as it began to snow! we hustled back to our camp and marveled at the dusting of snowfall on the tall trees surrounding us. mugs of cocoa warmed us right up. however, at that point, i began wishing we'd brought gloves. next time i will be bringing three pairs. even if it's june.


me and b waking up in our nest of sleeping bags. the early mornings all bunched together in our tent made for some of my favorite moments. b really earned the name happy camper. and yes, i am wearing every layer i packed. 

wild animal shots coming up next.

first stop: montana

our first stop on our family trip was bozeman, montana. i'd never been there before but soon fell in love with the charming downtown, adorable gift shops, the fun college town vibe, and the beautiful scenery. it seems to have a perfect mix of wide open farmland and upbeat city life. i wonder if living in bozeman is as wonderful as i dream it would be.


oh how i miss browsing bookstores like this. they always have the best card & stationery selections too. these were my instant favorite shops along main street: the country bookshelf, hey day gift shop, and the chocolate moose.


a canoe & the muscle tee. we had string cheese and sandwiches by this gorgeous lake in big sky resort. dan hopes to ski there this winter.


this is at our first camping spot near bozeman. we snapped silly close-ups while waiting for tinfoil dinners to cook. they tasted amazing, as everything does in the wilderness. that night (and every other night) we enjoyed roasting giant marshmallows. no chocolate or grahams needed. you must hunt down the campfire brand giant roaster marshmallows in your local grocery store. i cannot say enough good things about them. they are genuinely gooey, messy and delicious. however, i wish they sold them in a smaller bag, as we have tons left over.



the next morning we had oatmeal for breakfast and hiked to the falls. benji loves the great outdoors. he collected rocks and pointed out all the creeping bugs. i was worried about him sleeping in a tent, but something about the fresh mountain air is magic. he slept soundly all three nights!


after our hike, we went back into bozeman to get some lunch and browse main street one last time. everyone was walking to the stadium wearing gold tee shirts. seriously. everyone. apparently it was montana state's first football game of the season, goldrush. these bubbling students (who could hardly believe we hadn't heard of goldrush) directed us toward the so-called best burger in town, Burger Bob's. they were right. our burgers did not disappoint. our new young friends also predicted the huge win. luckily Burger Bob's had the game on tv.

next stop: setting up camp in yellowstone national park.

into the woods

have i mentioned yet that we're in the midst of planning a family trio campout? in excellent wilderness territory, i might add. have i mentioned yet that dan, my mountain man, is on cloud nine about spending four days in the woods? have i mentioned yet that i am packing loads of layers, planning on rain and practicing my brave face about our potential proximity to bears. dan took benji to sportsman's warehouse the other night for a few extra necessities. everytime d takes b anywhere, it's called a boys' trip which i think is completely endearing. dan is pictured here going over our camp gear inventory, sitting in a new nine dollar camp chair and stuffing benji's very first sleeping bag. dan likes the high quality performance of its material; i like that it's called The Little Tree sleeping bag. another good investment in a new generation of family traditions.

happy labor day. i scheduled a few posts to keep you entertained while we're eating trail mix.

p.s. i hope you showtune lovers noticed the title to this post. into the woods has an incredible soundtrack and is one of my on stage favorites.

a happy fourth

running through sprinklers, his new favorite game.

benji stops to smell the flowers and the rocks and the sticks and the leaves.

cutie pie cousins at the backyard barbeque. not pictured: dan and siblings taking turns cranking the wooden ice cream maker and then timing how long they could keep their hands in the freezing icy waters. this crowd is nothing if not competitive. leave it to dan to make any chore more fun.

exploring grandma's garden. always content with a car in hand.

campin' cousins. mine, the most cooperative.

b and me. the great outdoors are always greater with family circling the campfire.

pile up on uncle dan. a perfect activity while we wait until dark.

lined up in pajamas, ready for the firework display. i was happy watching it through my viewfinder. this weekend i fooled around with my new camera and all its fancy settings.

hope you too had a happy fourth of july weekend.