Tag: vacation (Page 3 of 4)

Camping Trip Supply List

September 2, 2010 / Lindsey

Well gosh, it’s a little late in the season to be posting a camping supply list, but if anyone is going camping over the Labor Day weekend, it might help. I came up with the list (in no particular order!) based on what we took on our recent camping trip, so this will pretty much cover all your bases.

tent

tarp (optional, but nice to have something to put the tent on so you don’t track dirt inside and all over your sleeping bags)

water — roughly a gallon per person per day or more, for drinking/cooking/washing

sleeping bags or bed rolls

inflatable pads to go under your sleeping bag

pillows

toilet paper

trowel/small shovel (if there aren’t outhouses, bring a trowel to dig a 6” deep hole for when nature really calls)

unscented baby wipes for “dry showers”

bath towels

kitchen hand towel

coleman stove

extra gas or propane if needed

coleman lantern (optional if you have flashlights)

fire extinguisher

matches

pots and pans as needed

potholder if needed (or use kitchen towel as a pot holder)

tupperware or ziploc bags for leftovers

cooler

food

measuring cup/measuring spoons if needed

metal spatula

ladle

steak knife or slicing knife

silverware

napkins

dish soap (we like Dr. Bronners because it’s gentle on the environment, and can be used for dishes, hands, bodies, hair, toothpaste, etc)

sponge

trash bags

2 flash lights

cups or mugs

plates and/or bowls

rope for clothesline if needed

collapsible chairs if your site doesn’t have a picnic table

bug spray

salt & pepper

oil for cooking

[UPDATE: rain ponchos are handy, too!]

What are your camping essentials?

August Photo Update

August 29, 2010 / Lindsey

How have you been these past two weeks? Hopefully you’re out enjoying summer while it’s still around! The mornings are already getting cooler around here, and the autumn birds are beginning to sing. The garden is really at its peak, and we’ve been blessed with heaps of organic cucumbers, zucchini, kale, parsley, basil, cabbage, onions, potatoes, mini pumpkins, and tomatoes. I love the bounty! It’s the freshest, most organic, delicious, wholesome, high-vibration, grown-with-love food, and ingesting it just feels good! We are certainly eating like kings right now! I am so grateful for our garden.

August has been busy around here in a good way; my sister was in town for a week (so fun!), and Hubby and I went camping last weekend at my parents’ land which was completely wonderful. In the rush of work-a-day living, I forget how peaceful and healing it is to just hang out in nature. Sitting in the sun, looking out at the view, I kept thinking “This is life.” The weather couldn’t have been more perfect, and we just hung out and read, cooked at the coleman stove, drank tea, ate, laughed, watched chipmunks, ate wild currants, hiked around a little, and enjoyed the fresh mountain mornings, the twilight hour, a few shooting stars at night, and the nearly-full moon shining into our tent.

And since we had a rental car, I took all of our giveaway stuff to the thrift store drop-off after we got back; that stuff had been lingering in our entryway for far too long, and it felt great to clear it out. Doing that inspired me to clean up the rest of our house, too. It has been in shambles because we’re both too busy and too tired to devote energy to it. I find that in terms of the house, my outer realm both reflects and affects my inner realm. So when the house is out of control, it’s an accurate snapshot of my life at that moment in time. But if I take the time to really get it back under control (9 1/2 hours on Friday!), then I feel as if I have my whole life back under control. Whether your house is clean or dirty really affects your psyche more than I’ve ever realized.

Anyway, here are some photos from the past month:

The Garden in August

Cute sign

HAD to take a picture of these lovelies!

Camping

Each wild currant bush has its own taste.

Aspen on the Land, (c) The Herbangardener

Aspen grove on the Land

Look at that -- our campsite is as messy as our house!

Back From Vacation

February 15, 2010 / Lindsey

Kerrygold (grassfed) Irish Butter

Raw goat’s milk (frozen)

We arrived home this evening from a lovely little weekend in New Mexico! Other than relaxing, taking photos, looking at shops and galleries, and walking through quaint neighborhoods, we took the opportunity to go to Trader Joe’s (we don’t have TJ’s where we live, so we TOTALLY stocked up!). As you can see by the photo above, we took full advantage of their Kerrygold butter at a mere $2.69. (Where we live, you can’t get it for less than $4.99.) We love Kerrygold butter because it’s grassfed and very delicious!

I also bought 3 quarts of raw goat’s milk at the farmer’s market! Since it’s illegal to sell raw milk in Colorado, I was very excited to go to New Mexico (where it can be sold legally). However, I didn’t have much luck, and the only raw milk I was able to get was raw, frozen goat’s milk directly from the farmer at the market for $5/quart. But I was thrilled that I was even able to get that (especially considering it’s the off-season for goat milk)…and happily, the milk made it all the way home without thawing out. I can’t wait to try it!! (By the way, visit the realmilk.com website for good information about raw milk, and this Mother Earth News snippet about the raw milk debate. I wish wish wish WISH that I had access to raw milk here!) UPDATE: The milk was delicious!! I like — but don’t love — the animal-y taste of goat products, but the milk was really yummy. Since it has been frozen for a while, the fat had separated a bit, but that had no effect on the taste! Yum.

Anyway, I already miss being on our trip; it’s always bittersweet to be home again. And it’s back to work for both of us tomorrow (yuk!), and I’ll be extra busy this week getting ready for my second bunion surgery (bunionectomy with osteotomy, with a plate and 4 screws inserted) which is on the 23rd. There’s a lot I want to accomplish between now and then — yikes!!!

Did you have a relaxing weekend?

Michelle Obama’s Vegetable Garden

September 7, 2009 / Lindsey

Michelle Obama's Vegetable Garden (click for larger picture)

What’s a trip to Washington, D. C. without a stop at the Presidential Victory Garden And Beehive!?

While the garden itself was just a little anti-climactic because it was so far away from the fence, it was still pretty cool to see it in person. (Click below to continue reading…)

Back from Vacation, and Rejuvenated!

September 3, 2009 / Lindsey

Beach visit East Coast 2009

We got back from our wonderful summer vacation to the East Coast…not really rested, but very rejuvenated! It was just the break we needed! We had a great time, and are sad to be back to our full-time jobs. One of my favorite things about our trip was how much time I got to spend with my hubby. All day, every day, we were together…exploring our surroundings, taking pictures, laughing together. A far cry from our daily lives which seem to be eaten almost entirely by our jobs. In the few evening hours between job and bedtime, we squeeze in together-time, cooking, reading, computer time, pursuing hobbies, housecleaning, laundry, dishes, visiting family, gardening, etc! Time together — with those you love most — is so precious. Being on vacation reminded me how precious it is, and how much I miss having more of that quality time as part of our daily life. Something to work on, indeed!!