Party Through the USA

A little over a year ago, my family helped me name this blog during a camping trip.  Today, I have a special treat for you- a guest post from my mom!  She's been a wife to one for 36 years, a mom of five children for 34 years, a grandma to five for 8 years, and a pharmacy tech for 35 years.  She loves camping, gardening, sewing, remodeling, and spending time with her family.  You can follow her on none of the social media platforms, but you can please follow me. Oh, and as a bonus, all the pictures from today have been taken by one of my sisters.  She loves photography and does all my kids milestone pictures.  You can also not follow her on any social media outlets, but please follow me ( Facebook <> Instagram <> Pinterest ). Growing up in Illinois, my husband and I had never camped.  After we got married and moved to the beautiful Pacific Northwest, we couldn't help ourselves, we had to get out and experience it.  When I think back to our first trips, I&

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest and living in the region most of my life means that I've seen quite a few of the animals from this area.  My kids regularly spot bald eagles, blue heron, and loons.  To encourage them to continue looking to animals and enjoying their time in nature, I made a printable scavenger hunt that focuses on some of the animals we can see in this area. Print this checklist and laminate it to use over and over or write on it with permanent marker and use the lamination to keep it safe through your travels.  Bring it camping and hiking and keep track of everything you find.  I have included several species listed by their particular name and some general categories.  There are 20 animals total- coastal creatures, birds, forest mammals, and freshwater animals. Each family can decide how specific they want to be in their search.  For example, instead of only looking for a moose, your family may chose to "count" any large herbivore.  Or inste

There might be nothing more American than S'mores!  Graham crackers were invented in the USA by a fringe leader and Hershey's bars by a real life Willy Wonka.  Although marshmallows were first made somewhere else, it was the Girl Scouts who first assembled the classic ingredients into the iconic treat that it is today.  From Starbucks to candles, Americans are obsessed with S'mores!  Here's some proof- So Much Smore to Do book   <>   S is for Smore book 1, 2, 3, Make a Smore with Me   <>   Smore Caddy Electric Smore Maker   <>   Plush Smore   <>  Blanket Smore Duct Tape   <>   Smores and Checkers Game I Love You Smores Mug   <>   Smores Card Game Smore Ornament   <>  Smore Socks   <>  Nightlight Smore Playing Cards   <>  Microwave Smore Maker I asked my friends at the Kid Blogger Network for their recipes on how to enjoy the S'more taste in different forms other than the origi

I am a mosquito magnet!  They absolutely love me!  While some members of my family hardly ever get bit, I am a bug buffet.  I have tested almost every mosquito product and repellent on the market.  From sprays to lotions to 100% deet to natural recipes- I've tried it all.  It seems like some of these products work for most people, so I've decided to list the major types for you.  How many of them have you tried? Thermacell Backpacker Mosquito Repeller   🚷   Mosquito Guard Kids Bracelets   🚷  Cutter Backwoods Spray Repel Plant Based Spray   🚷  Thermacell Personal Repeller Repel Citronella Candle   🚷   Mosquito Sticks   🚷   Ultrathon Lotion Bug Jacket   🚷  Repel 100   🚷  Ultrasonic Mosquito Repellent Insect Shield Socks   🚷   Skeeter Beater Soap   🚷  Coleman Candle Thermacell Mosquito Repeller Lantern My favorite mosquito repellent is the Thermacell "repeller."   It sounds funny to say it, but my life got so much better afte

Are you heading out on a road trip this summer?  Whether it's a day trip or an epic journey, all parents dread hearing four little words from their kids- "Are we there yet?"   The first time is usually ok, but it gets old quickly.  None of the answers adults give seem to satisfy their offspring and the cycle just continues. When we go on trips, I've found that having a progress countdown is very helpful.  We use a custom map with dots placed along our route as goals.  I place them at state lines, big cities, river crossings, or anything else that makes a very obvious from the window that we've entered a new location.  Then, we add a sticker to our map.  The kids can see for themselves how many spots we have to pass before we get to our destination or hotel and how many dots we've already done.  It works very well, we rarely hear the dreaded words. Our success with the map caused me to think about other road trip countdown ideas.  I scoured the intern

I have written about dinosaur themed road trips for many years, but we hadn't gone on one until this spring.  The kids voted to make our beach trip into a Jurassic Park excursion.  At the risk of being repetitive, I'm going to write about dinosaurs again.  Here's a few highlights from our vacation and how we incorporated giant lizards into a beach trip. *My kids haven't seen any of the Jurassic movies.  They only know some of the music, a bit of the plot from the Lego version, and some of the dinosaurs from the merchandise.  Plus, their parents are nerds who play the video game *

Pixar is releasing Toy Story 4 this month (June 20)!  In honor of the fourth installment and the "drive-in movie" week I'm running on my other blog, I thought I should make today's travel post Toy Story themed.  I know my kids are counting down to the fun- what about yours?  Have you been to Toy Story Land?  Let me know in the comments below. Just like my Lego 20 Questions game, this Toy Story one can be printed on cardstock, cut apart, and put into an Altoid tin for all your waiting times.  Each card lists the name of a character and includes a picture, so that everyone know all about each toy to answer the 20 questions.  Slip the Altoid tin into a purse, bag, or pocket so you always have a quick game for travel and other waiting times. This printable is a subscriber special for those who sign up for my newsletter. Join the group to get the latest news about my new content, free printables, and exclusive content! (Don't worry if you've alrea