We went away this week, to a place called Augusta. I used to go there every year since I was a baby until I was 18. I probably came along and stayed a couple of nights sometimes later than that. Our last visit was 5 years ago (we had a run of coming with Mr Tween – I’m still not sold on this nickname! Help! – for a while when he was a toddler). I often fantasise about the memory of driving down alone and spending time alone in my tent reading true crime books from the library, whenever I felt like it. Sleeping in. The freedom! I had no…
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The reasons camping sucks (and why I wouldn’t change a thing about it).
It’s the middle of the night and I’m wide awake in my quiet, dark house. It’s our first night at home in two weeks after a camping trip away. It’s weird. The thing about camping is that it’s hard work sometimes. There’s no electricity. There’s no wifi. Sometimes there’s not even any mobile phone reception. Do you know how hard it was to watch a short video clip someone sent me or to get a second to watch some Instagram stories?? It was hard to keep our phones charged. We had to rely on the car battery or the battery we were using to power the fridge. The Engel fridge…
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Who the hell goes camping with a baby? Us. We do.
Holy shit. We’re doing it. We’re going camping soon. For the first time in 2 years! And the first time with an 8 month old baby (the Little Mister was 14 months old the first time we took him). We are finally starting to feel like we might just somehow, miraculously pull this off. We’ve bought some new supplies, made a crapload of lists and it’s been very exciting chatting with our friends about it (there’s going to be a massive group of us)! It could not be coming at a better time and I am thanking past Kez (and our friends who invited us) for this big time! At…
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The Happy List #33
Yo. I skipped a week because we were away camping, but now we’re home again (back to reality) and I’m about to dive into life as a school mum, starting tomorrow! Hold me! I seem to have stopped freaking out about name labels and booklist items, and now I’m worried about lunches and this school lunch box shaming I see so much of all the time on the internet and OMG I don’t know if I have the time/energy to be a crazy health nut Pinterest worthy lunch making mummy!! Breathe, Kez. Breathe! Go to a happy place!! Here are some things that have made me feel happy since the…
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Camping 2015: Hot days.
This year we went camping in the first week of February. The best time if you have some leave from work and kids who aren’t school age yet. The massive crowds have gone home to get back to real life after the school holidays and it’s nice and quiet. A lot of retired folk (as evidenced by the sheer amount of older ladies wandering about in their big floral nighties) and young families. This year was uncharacteristically hot! We weren’t used to this – we’re usually more likely to experience a stiff, cool breeze and a bit of rain. A couple of really bright sunny, calm days if we’re lucky!…
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Camping 2015: On the water. And why can’t I be more like this at home?
Yep. That’s me on my dad’s SUP (that’s Stand Up Paddle-board to those of you who haven’t been swallowed up by the craze – yet). That’s also me pretending that I’m in Hawaii (don’t ask about the fact that I couldn’t be at my amazing friend’s Honolulu wedding this past weekend – seriously). Something really weird happens to me when we go camping. I suddenly become fairly ‘sporty’. Almost by accident. I know. It’s weird. All the things I can’t be bothered (*gasp*) doing at home, suddenly become fun and exciting while we’re away! I suppose it’s the fact that I don’t have the same responsibilities and routines on holiday.…
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Home again.
Aaaah. We’ve just got home after a crazy, glorious week away camping. I often say that you have to get away for just long enough that you start to appreciate home comforts again. Not that we were truly slumming it, to be honest. There are smart phones and brewery feeds and goodness knows what else to enjoy these days (usually involving several varieties of gourmet cheese). Not to mention brilliant little barbecues that can cook ANYTHING. But we lived simpler in our little camper van with the pull out beds. With the non soundproof canvas ‘walls’ and the dirt and the wildlife. Living out of a bag of clothes, having…
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Camping 2014 – Daily photos: Beach time.
When we go camping, we have learnt to expect the weather to do almost anything. It’s the kind of place where you can experience a few seasons in just one day. On this trip, the weather was a bit windy, cool and cloudy on and off for a majority of the time, but we got a couple of really wonderful clear days. On these days we did all we could to make sure we had fun on the water. It was fun to watch the Little Mister running free along the sand of the safe little beaches. So much joy! So many happy dances! The water was so clear and…
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Camping 2014 – Daily photos: Sight seeing.
Even though we’ve stayed at the same place for most of my life (we calculated that we’ve only ever taken 8 years of my life off from camping in the same town annually), there are some spots we just have to visit. You know, just in case something has changed. You never know. One of these spots (which never changes) is the historic water wheel. Which is also a great place to drive to when you’ve started to lose the plot because your toddler won’t do day naps while you’re away and if he doesn’t sleep soon, you’re going to get really grumpy. So you chuck him into his car…
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Camping 2014 – Daily photos: Eat and drink.
Camping sure isn’t what it used to be. I have memories of eating burnt sausages, tinned spaghetti and if we were lucky we had a dessert of canned rice cream. Of course these things taste horrible at home, but while camping we were in culinary heaven! These days we are spoilt. I don’t know if we could quite call it “glamping” yet (or at least I am not willing to admit to it), but let’s say our campsite meal times have become a lot more creative and delectable. In fact, it could be argued that we eat better while camping than we do when we’re at home. I think I…
