wildtalesof.com

August 27, 2013

Sleep for Camping Toddlers

Before our camping trip to Washington’s Olympic National Park earlier this month, we had some concerns with how a few things would work logistically with a toddler in tow.

Ruby Beach: Olympic National Park | WildTalesof.com

We wanted our meals to work well. They didn’t need to be gourmet, but we also wanted to do more than heat up a can of chili.

We also wanted to make sure we packed the right supplies. We didn’t want to bring too much, but we also didn’t want to be lacking in anything.

We wanted to set-up camp in the most efficient way possible. We wondered how we would get everything done while still making sure Bergen was safe, and Norman (the dog) wasn’t running amok or barking his head off.

What weighed most heavily on both of our minds though was sleep: Not so much for ourselves (though that’s great too), but for our soon-to-be 2 year old. Visions of Bergen screaming in the middle of the night waking the entire campground, and worries of him not falling asleep in the first place because of the foreign environment kept us up in the nights leading up to our trip.

To try and ease our minds, we thought logically. He sleeps well at home and he sleeps well when we travel to non-camping destinations. We simply had to do our best to ensure that all his usual sleep routines, comforts and associations were somehow represented in this outdoor situation.

Sleep for your Camping Toddler

Tip: Analyze your child’s sleeping arrangement at home, then plan and figure out how to replicate the set-up at your camp site.

Here’s what worked for our little guy who at home sleeps in his own room (right next to ours) in a crib:

1. Supplies

His usual comfort items: special “lovies” and blanket
Fleece footed pajamas and a fleece sleep sack for extra warmth (temperatures got to 50 degrees F at night)
Battery operated Sound Machine for white noise
Sleeping bag
Go-Crib Adventure Crib
Tent (Kelty 2-person)

2. Set-up

Since Bergen sleeps in his own room at home, we felt that our sleeping situation while camping should be no different. We are lucky to have 2 tents, so we set up both side by side at the campsite. His portable crib fit perfectly in our 2-person Kelty tent.

3. Routine

With modifications respective to our camping situation, we followed Bergen’s normal bedtime routine. After dinner, he gets into his pajamas, we read stories while he drinks a little cup of milk, then we put him in his sleep sack, brush his teeth & say good night. He sees all of these activities as sleep associations, so I feel like he really understood that it was time for bed and time to sleep. It was important for me to go through this routine meticulously in my mind before our trip so that I didn’t forget anything integral to the process!

4. Flexibility

While we were very serious with our planning, we also went into the whole sleeping situation with an open mind. Bergen usually goes to bed around 7:30 pm, but on the first night we were worried that he might not feel like it was truly time to sleep until it was dark (he has blackout curtains at home). Instead of being strict, we waited until about 9pm to ease some of that worry. For the second night, since he went without a nap that day he was more than ready to go down before the sun. I also knew that he wouldn’t wake up at his usual time, and expected an earlier wake up.

We hoped for the best, but knew that one of us might need to go in to comfort and reassure him. In the end, he was a champion sleeper! We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome with him falling asleep easily at bedtime, and giving us a reasonable wake-up call at 7:00 am. Our only sleep hiccup was that we missed his sleep window for an afternoon nap on our first full day at camp. We merely waited too long, and it was too late for him to get to sleep. It turned out alright though because it made it that much more easy to get him to bed that night!

Sleep for the Camping Toddler | WildTalesof.com

Have you gone camping with children? What was the sleep set-up like? How did it go?

Come join the conversation! You can keep up to date with each and every post by subscribing to the blog via email. We’d also love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter!

More of our camping adventures:

August 26, 2013

An Ice Cream Cone Fit for Lunch: UW Madison’s Babcock Hall Dairy Store

For better or worse, we are long past the stage of withholding certain sweets and treats from Bergen’s (2 years old) diet. Given our affection toward ice cream (among other indulgences), it would be difficult to keep it away from him. What would we say? “This is only for grown-ups?” or “You wouldn’t like it?”

For a little guy who is willing to try nearly everything under the sun in terms of food, we just wouldn’t be able to put this one past him. So, we don’t even try. It’s not to the point where Bergen gets his very own cone, but he does his fair share of licks from ours.

In planning our recent trip to Wisconsin, a first time visit for both Bergen and I, we had a few expectations. One of those expectations was good ice cream. I should also mention that Slaed and I made a goal of consuming at least one ice cream per day, more than one was even better. After all, Wisconsin is the dairy state, and naturally claims to be the best at whipping up creamy confections.

On our first full day in Wisconsin, we wanted to go big. As we began walking down Madison’s State Street and into the campus of the University of Wisconsin, we decided Babcock Hall Dairy Store was a necessary stop on our college tour. After already logging over 3 miles on foot with the heat of the day getting to it’s peak, when we arrived all I wanted to do was order and get down to the business of enjoying my ice cream.

I knew better though and first took the time to learn a little bit about the their method. First, we followed cow prints up and down a few hallways and stairs before arriving at the observation deck. Here we got to view some of the machinery used in the ice cream making process. Not a lot was happening during the time of our visit, but it was still fun to think about the huge amounts of ice cream produced here. The plant was build in 1951 and is the oldest dairy building at a university in the country. Along with ice cream, cheese and milk are also produced and bottled.

After our brief lesson, it was time to get serious. Time to choose our flavors. With so many good choices, I began to worry that I might not be able to decide, but then I noticed my old standby: Chocolate Peanut Butter. Slaed went with a favorite flavor combination of his: Orange Custard Chocolate Chip. Needless to say, Bergen sampled tastes from each our cones though lucky for me, I think he preferred the orange custard.

The students who dish out the scoops here are quite generous. The cones you see us devouring are both single scoops, but by the looks of them, you’d think we ordered something much bigger. Going along with the size of the cones we received, the ice cream itself is also quite filling. I’m not one to veer off from my 3 meal-a-day schedule (with snacks also thrown in for good measure), but even after the 3 mile walk back to our apartment rental, lunch was still the furthest thing from my mind. It wasn’t until dinner later on that day that I actually realized I didn’t eat lunch that afternoon!

Where do you like to fill-up on ice cream? We’d love for you to share your best spot in the comments below!

Info to Know:

Babcock Hall Dairy Store is located at the University of Wisconsin in Madison:
- 1605 Linden Drive
  Madison, WI 53703
- Hours: M-F 7:30 am-5:30 pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Football Saturday 10am-5:30pm
If you have a group of 10 or more, you can pre-schedule a short guided tour of the ice cream, cheese & milk bottling process.
The dairy store is more than just ice cream. Breakfast and lunch is also available, and they claim to have the best coffee on campus!

Come join the conversation! You can keep up to date with each and every post by subscribing to the blog via email. We’d also love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter!

August 18, 2013

Camping: It’s Hard Work! Why We Love it and Would Even Extend our Trips

There’s just something about camping that connects me to a place more than just staying in a hotel or rental home.

Yes, the differences are pretty obvious: Outside vs. Inside, Cooking on a barbecue or fire vs. Just eating out. The cost savings is also quite significant. What I love most though is being surrounded by and experiencing the nature that we seek out so much in our travels. We never have to leave it either.

At the same time though, all those positives come with a heck of a lot of work. Hard work without kids involved; even harder with a toddler in tow.

The work starts well before we pull up to the campsite too. Meal planning, packing lists, organizing supplies, then figuring out how to fit all the gear, food, and supplies in the car.

Next comes a road trip. Fun? Yes, but there’s some stress involved with navigating (to an extent), and in our case keeping a nearly 2-year old from completing losing it during the drive.

Upon arrival at the campground, it’s bitter sweet. On one hand, we’ve arrived at a beautiful destination.

On the other hand, we have work looming over us: The chore of setting up tents, tarps, and chairs, then organizing the food, starting a fire, and eventually preparing and cooking that food so deserving bellies can become full. We can’t get too comfortable though because clean-up, dish washing and putting it all away is just around the corner.

It’s funny, given all this hard work you’d think we’d just throw in the towel and resolve to stay in a cabin next time. That’s not out of the question, but what we’re really actually considering is extending the camping trip by a night or two!

2 nights is just too short. It’s too soon to pack up and go when really, we feel like we just arrived, and just started feeling relaxed and connected to our environment. For all the labor involved, it only seems fair that we get to reap some of the benefits of life outdoors for a longer period of time.

What’s your ideal length of time for a camping trip? 3 nights? 1 week? No camping at all? Tell us all about your choice in the comments!

August 13, 2013

Built-in Adventures: South Seattle’s Kubota Garden

How do you find time for adventures and outings? For us there are certainly times when we visit parks, museums, and other attractions with it being the sole purpose of our trip out of the house. More often than not though, our outings are worked into one errand or another.

I’m constantly scheming, and thinking about places we can explore close to that Target, post office or grocery store. Somehow knowing that we can check out a new place or go somewhere we love, even for a short time makes the boring day-to-day stops more bearable and fun! Sometimes I even turn the whole thing around, and think of the adventure first, and then figure out how we can also check something off our “to-do” list.

These “built-in adventures” also give Bergen (nearly 2 years old) a chance to spread his wings. If you didn’t know already, he’s a ball of energy and needs ample time and space to run, climb, and explore. He’ll tolerate being cooped up in the car seat, shopping cart, stroller, backpack carrier or just being held, but only for so long before he has to let go.

Last week when we had errands on the south side of the city, I thought of Kubota Garden, a beautifully designed space that combines traditional Japanese Garden elements with native Northwest plant life. We got to spend a little over an hour just wandering around. I let Bergen lead the way.

With very few people, wide paths to toddle down, and not a lot for his little fingers to destroy, I found it an ideal place to catch my breath and really enjoy the little moments with my boy. Here, I wasn’t chasing or keeping him from grabbing this or that.

Because of his size and vantage point, he had me winding down trails that I would have overlooked, and for this visit, I saw the garden through a different perspective: a blissfully curious toddler’s perspective.

It started to sprinkle, but after several weeks of no precipitation in Seattle, that did not dampen our spirits, we welcomed the rain. I did hurry Bergen along a little faster only to realize that due to our aimless meandering, we were a little lost and twisted around. This didn’t last long though as the garden at about 20 acres is not too terribly large, and alas, we were still in the city, and could easily hear the traffic noise that would lead us toward the entrance.

To our surprise, our quick exit to the car to beat the rain was stopped by a couple of new residents. I’m not sure what the caregivers of the garden think of their presence, but they seem to have made themselves at home after most likely escaping the urban backyard farming life. Can you guess who’s taken up a new life at the Japanese Garden? (answer in the photo below)

Have you visited Japanese Gardens?

Tell us about your experience in the comments.

Info to Know:

Kubota Garden is located in South Seattle near the Rainier Beach neighborhood:
- 9817 55th Avenue S, Seattle, WA ‎
- (206) 684-4584
- Hours: 6am-10pm
- FREE!
Parking is free with plenty of spaces available in the lot at the entrance.
If visiting with little ones, a stroller is definitely possible, though you won’t be able to maneuver each and every path (like Bergen!).

August 8, 2013

Outdoor Gear on a Budget: 5 Ways for Families to Save

Now that we’re really in the thick of summer here in Seattle, I got gear on my mind. I’m especially thinking about all the supplies we need for our adventures with our camping trip to the Olympic Peninsula coming up quickly. We’re not exactly minimalists when it comes to camping, and we also don’t go overboard with supplies, but the essentials for us like a good tent, backpack carrier for Bergen (nearly 2 years old), sleeping bags, and even things like boots and the right clothes are all important for us to be comfortable and have a successful trip.

As we go through mental lists, actual written-on-paper lists, and our basement to prepare, I thought I’d share the ways we acquired all this gear in the first place. Many items, if we want something of quality, come with a hefty price tag, and we’ve found a few ways to work around the steep cost. At the same time there are other items that are not as necessary, but nice to have. We love finding ways to save on those fun or comfort items too.

1. Make a Wish List.

We try to plan and anticipate the big ticket items we might need or want in advance. We keep track of these items, make lists, and then when the opportunity arises, we might tell family and friends. When birthdays, Christmas and other celebrations come around, we are prepared, and can tell people exactly what we have in mind (if they ask!). If the item is too much for even one gift giver to handle, we might even ask for a contribution toward the purchase, or hint toward a group effort.

2. Buy Used.

You know that wish list? It also comes in handy when we are out and about. When shopping, I tend to get overwhelmed and lose focus, but if I have a goal in mind, especially when shopping thrift stores, I’m more successful and don’t make the mistake of overbuying or buy things we don’t really need.

Goodwill, thrift stores, garage & yard sales, craigslist, and our local parent network are all great resources for us to find quality used gear. We’ve even been lucky to find items that people have only used a handful of times, so it’s practically new, but half the cost (or less). It’s at these types of places, where we also purchase things that are more of a fun item, but not completely necessary. The other day, we were at a local children’s consignment store looking for shoes for Bergen. While we didn’t find shoes, we did come across a great camping chair for him! Was it completely necessary? No, but for $5, it’ll be a fun item to have for our trip.

3. Deep Discount Sites.

Sites that hold “flash sales” or a deal-of-the-day can also come in handy when you have gear that you need in mind. Items are offered at deep discounts and if you pay attention and are able to act quickly, you can take advantage There’s some work involved because you have to sift through all that you don’t need or want, but in the name of saving money, it’s worth the effort. For gear, I just discovered a handy resource at http://www.theclymb.com/ . I get an email notification each morning of the daily deals offered, and can quickly decide if there is anything worthwhile for me to purchase. At the moment, I’m on the lookout for hiking gear that Bergen will need as he gets older and is doing more and more actual hiking on his own. Shoes and a backpack fit for a toddler are two things on my mind.

4. Wait for it.

We love hitting sales, and it’s often at the end of the season or just completely off the season that we find the best deals. Sure, it’s not as fun because we might not be able to wear or use the gear right away, but again, it’s a small price to pay for saving money. It’s even helpful for smaller ticket items that can add up. Take shoes for example. I hate paying full price for foot wear that Bergen will only wear for a short time since he grows so fast. This year we snagged a great pair of rain boots that he can wear in the fall, but we bought them in April at an end-of-season sale. This works out well, but we do have to think ahead and take a gamble on predicting sizes.

5. Borrow or Rent.

There are just some items that we know we won’t use frequently enough to warrant a purchase, and we know it would be a waste of money to spend the big bucks. Renting or borrowing really makes sense when we know we’d use the item infrequently and only under certain circumstances. I’d love my own pair of snowshoes, but even though the snow isn’t that far away here in Seattle, I’m better off borrowing them from a friend (or renting) because I know I’d really only use them once a year, or even less.

Just remember to check the gear thoroughly when renting or borrowing. Many, many years ago when I borrowed a tent for a camping trip to Montana, we opened the bag only to find a tarp and poles, but no tent! We ended up scoring a great tent at the thrift store the next day, so it worked out okay, but the first night wasn’t exactly what we expected.

Do you have any money saving tips for purchasing great outdoor gear? Or have you used one of these tricks? Let us know in the comments below.

More on our favorite adventure/outdoor gear:

This post is sponsored by The Clymb. All content and opinions are my own.

August 1, 2013

Fun at the Lake with Toddlers: Safer and Easier Swimming

Earlier this month, we ventured back to Hayden Lake, Idaho. Our time at the lake gives us a chance to reconnect with friends, disconnect from our computers and other screens, and just enjoy the beauty that North Idaho throws at us. We’re lucky to get to stay at the house where our good friend grew up, a place my husband Slaed has been coming to for 20 years, so it really feels like home when we visit.

Clearly we enjoyed gorgeous blue water views lined with the greens of pine trees and backed by the hills and mountains of the area, but having fun in the lake with a toddler can be tricky. With just a foot or so of shore, there wasn’t a whole lot of room for Bergen (nearly 2 years old) to romp and play. While we definitely took advantage of this space, the water was murkier here and not as fun to swim in with water plants and other sediment floating around.

Moving on to deeper water, of course it only got harder. Taking the plunge and going for a dip is refreshing and invigorating. Even on a hot summer day though, and even after a sweaty 6-mile run, it’s cold! After just a a few minutes, Bergen’s little limbs started shivering, and his lips were at the beginning stages of turning blue. It’s also a lot of work to keep you and a toddler afloat. Bergen had his life jacket, but that only provided us parents with just a little bit of relief. He still needed a lot of help staying upright. A boogie board gave him little bit of a platform, but Bergen only tolerated that for so long before he wanted to get moving.

When it was time for some more relaxing and laid back fun, we turned to our trusty little blow-up pool. We still had to wait a bit for the sun to warm up the cold water coming fresh from the hose, and it took us a little while to find the perfect spot on the lawn that was level, but once everything was situated Bergen sure was happy splashing in and out of the water.

And I was more than happy to join him. Here I could still take in the view (it may have been even better than down below at the dock), keep an eye on the little guy, and relax in the shade. Bergen’s version of an infinity pool, and so practical for the traveling family too.