How To: camp with a toddler

Make sure there are plenty of chairs for everyone.

Pack water shoes.

Bring a boat.

Slather on the sunscreen.

Take lots of hikes.

Climb.

Catch fish.

Smile. Relax. Get dirty.

Enjoy the company.

How To: take a spontaneous camping trip

Thursday night Matt and I found out we would be toddler-free for the evening on Saturday. Here is a snippet of our conversation that night in bed...

Me: What do you want to do on Saturday?
Matt: Let's go camping!
Me: Yes!

It didn't occur to me until Friday when I was talking to my friend Heidi that that may sound crazy to some people. Here is a part of that conversation...

Heidi: What are you doing tomorrow?
Me: Matt and I are going camping.
Heidi: What? What do you mean? For the night? Like, you're going to set up a tent and everything?!
Me: Uh, yes!
Heidi: What a waste of a perfectly good Saturday night!

Granted, some people are just not "campers". :) I think there are a lot of people though, who want to camp but are overwhelmed by the thought of all the work camping can be. That is true. Sometimes. Here are some tips on how to enjoy a last-minute over-nighter in the woods and have it be relaxing!

Be prepared. I know, right? That seems like a lame one, but here's what I mean: make a camp box. Take a plastic bin with a lid and add the following...

• Box of matches
• Set of plates, mugs and utensils for each camper
• Sponge
• Dish soap (eco-friendly, please)
• Heavy pot
• Foil
• Barbecue tools
• Wooden spoon
• Perculator
• Instant coffee, tea bags and instant hot chocolate
• Water bottle with a filter
• First aid kit
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Roll of toilet paper
• Roll of paper towels
• Wine opener
• Can opener
• Deck of playing cards
• Notepad and pen
• Poncho(s)
• Rope
• Clothespins
• Utility knife

Store your camp box next to your tent, sleeping bags, lantern, propane, camp chairs, tarp and ice chest so that when you are ready to pack up, you can just throw everything in the trunk in less than two minutes.

Keep it simple. The food, that is. For this one-night camping trip, our menu consisted of hot dogs, cole slaw (you could just pick up pre-made potato or macaroni salad) and baked beans for dinner, s'mores for dessert, and muffins, instant oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. Assuming you had NOTHING in your pantry, here is your entire grocery list...

• hot dogs (or, if you're fancy, chicken apple sausages... mmm...)
• buns
• deli potato/macaroni salad
• can of baked beans
• bag of chips
• beer/wine
• muffins
• bananas
• chocolate bar
• marshmallows
• graham crackers
• instant oatmeal
• orange juice
• ice

Pack up your vehicle and head to the store on your way out of town. We ended up having everything we needed for this trip!

Pack lightly. If you've had a baby, you packed a hospital bag. Same idea here, people. Just bring the basics and don't freak out if you've forgotten something. Say it with me, "It's just one night." Um, hypothetically, if I were to keep an over-night camping bag packed at all times, this is what would be in it...

• wool sweater
• wool socks
• flannel pj pants
• cami
• flip flops
• shorts
• swim suit
• towel
• toothbrush and toothpaste
• brush and hair ties
• sun screen
• baseball cap
• beanie

It all fits nicely in a small duffle bag with my pillow and water-resistant wind breaker secured on top. Since we are usually leaving late-afternoon after work on a Saturday, I wear jeans because it will probably be cool when we get there. Add to that a tank top, long-sleeved shirt, ankle socks, sneakers, and sunglasses, and I'm good to go.

Relax. Enjoy the drive. Play car games. Open up that bottle of wine as soon as you get there, take a few pictures, watch the sunset over the trees, and kick some butt in rummy. Or Go Fish. Your choice. :)

Next month's "How To" installment-- camping with toddlers... wish me luck...

How To: travel with a toddler

Mason, at the young age of 2, has already been on his fair share of road trips. At one month old we drove from Washington to California. At three months old he experienced his first Spring Training trip (we drove to Arizona but then flew home to Nor Cal). At 9 months we went across the country to Iowa and Minnesota. We completed yet another trip to Arizona last March, and a couple of camping trips in between.

That equates to a LOT of hours in the car. It has actually become more of a challenge as Mason has grown, and as we prepare for 2011 Spring Training, I thought I would share a few tips.

First, we try to do as much driving at night as possible.

I realize it's not always feasible, but we find that driving at night is quiet, quicker, and Mason will actually sleep in the car. If it's light outside, he doesn't want to miss a THING and refuses to even nap. The trick is to follow your bedtime routine at home, get your toddler into "sleep mode" and then hop into the car to leave. Mase will be out by the time we get out of the city limits. We play classical music to help with the white noise, especially during gas stops, where he is most likely to wake up.

Second, if you do have to travel during the day, make sure you are armed with lots of fun, new toys and games.

Here is part of what our kit looks like for the 9 hour drive home from Arizona (most of which will be done during waking hours):

If you're flying with a toddler, get one of those travel accessories cases that rolls up. You can stick little toys and treats in each pouch, unroll it on the airplane and tie it to the seat in front of you. It's even more fun if you wrap your toys and games, like it's Christmas! Who doesn't love the excitement of unwrapping a gift?

This week I whipped up a super cool Felt Travel Mat using THIS tutorial and I think Mason is going to get lots of use out of it. Perfect for trains, planes, and automobiles. :)

Third, SNACKS.

Here are my go-to's:

Cheerios (Have you tried the Cinnamon Burst yet? Mmm!)

Trader Joe's Organic Animal Crackers

Trader Joe's Organic Dried Cranberries

String Cheese or Cheese Sticks

Fruit Snacks or Trader Joe's Organic Fruit Leather

Goldfish Crackers + Marshmallows + Pretzel Sticks (snack mix)

Fourth, remember to be flexible and have a good time.

This is probably the most important tip. If you're stressed out, your kid will sense it and be stressed out too. If you're positive and having a good time on the adventure, they will too. See how that works? Try it. I swear. Have fun, make a few stops, run around the car and take some silly pictures.

*Note: We have yet to travel with a portable DVD player and there is no way Matt is going to let Mason (AKA, Destructo) anywhere near his iPhone, but those are probably good options to kill some time and entertain your kids too. Mason has been into "Finding Nemo" and "Cars" lately, so I am considering the DVD player option for the next trip. I'll let you know how it goes!