Hello, Everyone! This is Jana. Today we are leaving to go camping for the weekend in our R.V. I can't wait! I grew up travelling the country in trailers and motorhomes, so it is very nostalgic for me to take my family in our trailer.
I thought I would share with you a few camping projects I created a few years back (thus the paper piecing, LOL!) that I LOVE having in our trailer. They are oldies, but goodies. :D
The first one is a Camp Journal. Growing up, my mom kept a journal of all the places we visited . . . campgrounds, restaurants, National Parks, etc. Then if we passed through that way again, my mom would know the places we would want to revisit. When we bought our trailer I decided to do the same thing.
On the first few pages, I decided to write the story of acquiring our R.V. and all the preparations and fun behind it. My husband DID NOT want a trailer. So the fact that I had finally convinced him to get us one, was a HUGE accomplishment! Hehehe!
Every time we take our trailer out I take the time to write a few pages about what we did. The kids love to read back on the places we went and reminisce about each trip. It also helps me when I go to create scrapbook pages later on! The journalling is all ready to go!
The second project I want to share with you is a little recipe book I made just for the R.V. These are the recipes I ONLY use when camping, you know, the Dutch Oven recipes and the quick-and-easy, throw-together stuff. I made it from a cheap 4 X 6 plastic photo album I found at Big Lots. I cut a slit on the backside of the cover so that I could remove the cardboard insert and create my own cover.
Inside I have made 4 X 6 "pages" to hold my recipes and meal plans. I usually make the same meals everytime for tradition's sake, but it's a nice place to keep potential recipes, just in case we ever feel like trying something new.
Last, but not least, I'd like to share a few tips to keeping the kids busy at the campground.
1) Take old scrap paper and stickers for the kids to play with in the car or when they get bored.
2) Don't take crayons, they melt in the heat. Take markers and watercolor paints for making pet rocks and pictures. We like to hang up the paintings on a clothesline between the trees to dry. It's an instant art gallery in the wilderness!
3) Stock up on Paint with Water books if you ever find them! They are perfect for camping because all you need is water!
4) Find a fun book on wildflowers at the bookstore beforehand. Make sure it has LOTS of pictures. :D The kids can collect different types of flowers on naturewalks and then come back to your campsite and look up which ones they found! My mom did this for us when I was little and I LOVED it! You could also buy books on birds, animals, etc.!
5) The dollar store has lots of fun items to keep kids busy at the campsite. For each of my kids I purchased them their own mini flashlight, magnifying glass and craft organizer. They call these their Nature Kits. They love to collect leaves, rocks, flowers, etc. to stash in all the little compartments of the organizer. Bug collecting kits can be found at the dollar store in the summertime and are a lot of fun to explore with, as well.
These are just a few tips that came to my mind. But I would LOVE to hear yours! If you have a tip for keeping kids busy at the campground/in the car or a favorite camping recipe, please share it with us in the comment box below!
Have a great weekend!
Jana
For starters, I stopped using the automatic setting on my camera. I started reading the manual (I know--but you can really learn a lot that way...) I started practicing two little things I learned in her class. And slowly, I became happier with my photos.
Don't get me wrong--I'm still a student of photography. In the past year, I've taken two more classes, and with each one, I've improved a little more each time.
One of the biggest things is to take lots of pictures. These shots of my dear friend's daughter are a few of over 200 photos. I took the time to survey my surroundings. I thought before I started snapping the shots, and took time to adjust my settings, whereas before I would have just kept snapping away, hoping to catch a few that were okay. 
I let her play. I didn't interrupt her from doing what she was already doing. How many times have you stopped your own subject to ask them to pose? When she began to realize I was paying her some attention, she wanted to see the results in my camera. She got a real kick out of seeing the finished photo of herself in the viewfinder.
So I'd like to encourage you all to do the same. Take a leap doing something you want to learn. Whether it be a technique on the computer, using something new on a layout, or improving your photography skills--do it. You'll be so glad you did!!
