Pura Vida

A little known fact about me is that I'm half Costa Rican.  As I child, when I'd see the American Flag or sing patriotic songs in elementary school I'd get emotional and choke back tears... okay, I still get emotional during the pledge or national anthem because I'm ridiculously patriotic, but as a kid I would ponder on how grateful I am to be an American and live in the United States.  I've always had a deep love for this country I live in.  I've also always been curious about Costa Rica, which is where my mom comes from.  As long as I can remember, visiting Costa Rica has been one of my biggest goals.

Becoming US Citizens in 1964

My mom was adopted into the United States when she was two years old and her brother was just a baby.  There was some adoption paperwork, naming my mom's biological mother and saying the two kids were given to a stranger in a bar and that man's wife made him take the kids to an orphanage.  We always wondered what possessed someone to abandon their children.  My mom's adopted parents were told that attempts were made to locate the family but no one had come forward.  My mom and her brother, Ronnie, were adopted out of an orphanage in San Jose with along with another Costa Rican boy from a different orphanage.  Her adoptive parents had gone to Costa Rica to adopt a baby and ended up taking three children instead!  I have always thought that was really admirable.

Here they are with kids belonging to the family they stayed with while all the adoption paperwork was completed.

My mom's hair was red from malnutrition and they all had worms.  My mom was afraid of small animals and it was believed to be due to the rats she had been around. Years were spent speculating on where my mom came from and the circumstances surrounding the kids ending up in an orphanage.  A private investigator was too expensive and we didn't know where to get more information.

Written by my mom's father

Eventually, along came the internet and with it, the ability to connect to people worldwide.  My mom posted an ad on the Costa Rican craigslist website with the small amount of information she had about her beginnings in Costa Rica.   A man responded to her and said he worked with public records.  He did some digging and came up with her birth father's name.  A second ad was placed, and someone responded!  The email came from the secretary of my grandfather's brother!  A simple ad in craigslist led to a family reunited.

I remember the first time we made a phone call to Costa Rica.  My mom's Spanish was rusty, so one of my friends offered to translate for us.  We placed the phone on speaker and all sat around the phone anxiously as we dialed my mom's older brother.  

We learned that my mom's biological mother was separated from the kids' father and she had gone into the city with her two babies to try and find work.  Her older son stayed home with his grandparents because he was sick.  While she was in the city, the kids were taken from her by the government and placed in an orphanage.  The family tried to get them back, but with no luck.  The government felt like they weren't being taken care of properly.  We're not exactly sure the circumstances surrounding them being given to a man in a bar, but that testimony in the court documents so somewhere along the lines my grandmother must have felt like she just couldn't take care of her children.

My mom and her biological father.

My mom's biological mother never recovered.  She lived a life of depression, alcohol and men to try and drown out the shame of losing her children.  She died very young and there are no pictures of her.  Her other son, my mom's older brother, was raised by his grandparents and went to work in banana plantations as a child to help support them.  He actually still works in the plantations today.  It's a heart-breaking story for my Costa Rican family to have lost two of their babies, but I know my mom is so grateful for her life in the United States.

Marcos, Alicia, Ronnie... together after over 50 years!

My mom has been to Costa Rica several times to visit since she found her family seven years ago.  On her first trip she was thrown a party to represent all the many birthdays that had been missed over the years.  She met her biological father and brother, several half siblings and lots of aunts, uncles and cousins! Her father's sisters especially were so happy to see her because they remember when the children were taken away.

My uncle, Ronnie, was able to visit Costa Rica a couple of years ago and meet the family too.  We've been working on getting their brother Marcos and his wife here to the United States for a visit so we can show them what life is like for us!  They are very traditional Costa Ricans and think we're a bunch of rich snobby Americans!  They would definitely be in for a shock if they ever came to visit.  My mom keeps telling me what a culture shock I'm in for when I go there!

My mom and her sister-in-law at their home in Costa Rica.

 I have cousins, aunts, uncles and a grandpa I've never met!  My only living grandparent is in Costa Rica.

In a couple of days I will be leaving my "snobby" American life behind to go with my mom, my husband and my three children for a two week trip to Costa Rica for the first time. My Costa Rican family doesn't speak a word of English and I don't speak a word of Spanish, but I have so much love in my heart for these people I've never even met.

Of course as we've been talking about this trip for months we've all been getting excited about going to the Caribbean beaches, seeing sloths and eating delicious food, but really this trip is about family.  These are the people I come from and although communication will be difficult, hugs are universal!

We are not staying at resorts, or even hotels.  We've decided to rent houses and shop at the markets and cook our own food and really get a taste for the beautiful country of Costa Rica.  I'm nervous, but I'm also more excited than I can express!  I spent my whole life imagining where my mom came from and now I'm going to see it firsthand!  

My Favorite Downtown SLC Hole-in-the-Wall Restaurants

Bruges Waffles and Frites

When we travel it's all about the food for me!  I love local hole-in-the-wall type restaurants and rarely eat at chains.  The same goes for eating out in our own state!  You won't catch me eating at a chain restaurant unless I have to!  We find ourselves in the downtown area of Salt Lake City quite often, and have found a few treasures over the years.  Bonus, they're each $20-30 for two people to eat!  Here are a few of our family's favorites:

1- Rich's Burgers n Grub: This is a great downtown place for burgers.  It's small and there is rarely more than one employee working at a time, but we've never had a problem getting a table.  They have quite a few burgers on the menu and you can choose any of them with a hamburger patty, chicken breast or a veggie patty (they make the veggie patties in house).  My daughter is a vegetarian and loves having so many choices.  My favorite is the Mac & Cheese Burger with a side of fried green beans.  Their sweet potato fries are also a delicious side option.  We've never been disappointed at Rich's.  The staff is friendly and the food is fabulous!  They're located at 30 E. 300 S. (Broadway).

The Blue Nile Special

2. Blue Nile:  We originally found the Blue Nile restaurant on Groupon and decided to be adventurous.  We had never tried Ethiopian food and didn't know what to expect, but it was amazing!  I highly recommend getting the Blue Nile Special.  For $25 you get to sample many of the menu items plus an appetizer.  It's plenty of food for two people to share.  One of the interesting things about Blue Nile is you eat your food using a delicious spongy bread to scoop everything up instead of silverware.  Service is usually quite slow, so give yourself plenty of time, but it's always friendly.  This is one restaurant we'll actually drive to Salt Lake specifically for!  They're located at 755 S. State.

Bruges Waffles and Frites

3. Bruges Waffles & Frites: Oh Bruges, how do I love thee?  If you're familiar at all with the Belgian waffle craze in Utah aka the Waffle Love truck, you have to try Bruges.  They have amazing Belgian waffles, but they also have delicious Belgian french fries with flavored dipping mayos!  The salty perfectly compliments the sweet.  I love the liege waffle with whipped cream and strawberries and a side of frites with a good spicy mayo.  The downtown Bruges has very little seating and most of it is outdoors, so be aware if the weather isn't great.  There is nothing healthy about Bruges, but it's one of those places that's worth the calorie splurge!  They're located at 336 W. 300 S. (Broadway)

4. Toasters:  We found Toasters for the first time a couple of years ago during Comic Con.  I was researching good sandwich places with vegetarian options within walking distance of the Con and Toasters got great reviews.  It has now become tradition for my girls to go to Toasters every single time they're at Comic Con (twice a year).  It's a great lunch option with healthier options.  I love the Turkey Avocado.  It has balsamic vinegar and swiss cheese on it which makes it unique and yummy!  They have three downtown locations: 151 W. 200 S, 215 S. State and 30 E. 300 S. (Broadway).

Siegfried's Delicatessen

5. Siegfried's Delicatessen:  This German deli was another Comic Con find.  It's unique and fun!  They have a gift store (with German chocolates!) and a full deli with sliced meats and cheeses.  I like to order the traditional bratwurst with spaetzle w/gravy and red cabbage, but everything I've tried has been delicious.  Just a heads up, my teens are not impressed with German food, so this may be a grownups only type place to visit!  They're located at 20 W. 200 S.

Cute mini German chocolate bars from Siegfried's

6. The Robin's Nest:  This is another healthier lunch option.  I've always gotten salads at The Robin's Nest, but their sandwiches look delicious too.  I love the Nutty Flora with chicken added.  The ingredients are fresh and their salads are filling.  The staff has always been friendly and the service is quick even when they're busy.  They're located at 311 S. Main.

We're always looking for fun new local spots to eat and I'm sure our downtown list will continue to grow!  How about you?  Are you a hole-in-the-wall type person or do you like to play it safe with chain restaurants?

Making Family Travel Happen on any Budget

I often get asked how our family is able to travel when we're on such a tight budget.  I don't go around posting my bank account balances online or anything, but spending so much time as a single mom and now being married to a retired military vet people know we aren't exactly rolling in the dough!

Here are a few budget-friendly travel tips I always use...

1- Be Realistic:  As much as I dream of cross-country road trips and elaborate beach vacations they just aren't in my budget at this point.  When I'm deciding on a travel destination I examine our financial situation at that time.  I research prospective spots to get a general idea of hotel, gas and entertainment costs to figure out if something is doable or not... from there I choose a vacation spot that is financially realistic for our family.

2- Plan ahead:  I typically start planning my vacations a year in advance,  Planning early is crucial for traveling on a tight budget.  It gives me a good solid savings goal to shoot for all year and it allows me to keep my eyes out for good deals.  I repeatedly check groupon for the area we'll be traveling to so that I can find deals on hotels, food and things to do.  We went to Las Vegas over Christmas and were able to attend a show for $30 a ticket.  The regular price was $75 each ticket, which was not in my budget, but at $30 it was a splurge I was willing to take since it was a special occasion.  I once stayed in a bed and breakfast for only $50 a night using a deal I found on a deal site and I've taken my family to a nice hotel with a full kitchen for spring break for only $30 a night as well.  The deals are there if you watch for them early!  Be sure to read the fine print for blackout dates to make sure you'll be able to use your deal on your travel dates.

3-  Break down your financial goal:  I use a divided coupon-size accordion file for my vacation savings.  I have it labeled: gas, hotel, food, car trip, tickets and extras.  I figure out how much money I'll need for each of these areas of our vacation.  I do so much better shooting for smaller goals and it gives me great satisfaction to know that I now have enough for gas, then hotel, etc.  Saving $1,000 is overwhelming, but saving a couple hundred at a time is doable for me.  It's a total mind trick, but it works for me!  Don't forget that if you're taking unpaid time off of work then you need to save the money to make up that difference as well.  You don't want to come back from vacation and instantly have to stress about not having enough money to pay your bills.

4- Find ways to bring in extra cash and figure out what you're willing to sacrifice:  If you're like me then the extra money doesn't magically appear just because you want to take a vacation.  I look for ways to bring in extra cash like selling vintage or household items on facebook, babysitting or crafting to sell.  When I took my kids to Disneyland a couple of years ago I put half of the money I made from each vintage market I sold at into my vacation fund.  Eating out less and cutting down on "extras" at the grocery store can give you some extra money to stash as well.  I used to have a yard sale every summer and all the money I earned went into my vacation fund.  If I get a tax refund I always put part of it towards my vacation goal.  Every year I ask my kids if they'd rather have gifts for Christmas or take a vacation.  Year after year they choose vacation.  They still get small items in their stockings, but all the other money I would be spending on Christmas goes towards our trip. 

People have told me taking trips for Christmas instead of gifts doesn't work for smaller kids, but I took my kids to Disneyland for Christmas back in 2006 when they were all young.  Santa still filled our stockings in the hotel with small things (like dollar store Disney stuff!) and the kids didn't even miss the huge mess of gifts they were used to getting.  At any age I'd much rather give me kids a memory than more junk they don't need.

5- Research:  I always spend a lot of time researching free and cheap things to do in the area we'll be vacationing.  I check out the menus of all the restaurants I'm thinking about so I know how much a meal would cost there.  It's good to know hours of operation, costs and everything else about the places you'll be visiting.  I don't like surprises while traveling because surprises always cost extra money!

6-  Choose the right hotel:  When we travel as a family I only choose hotels with free parking, free wifi, free breakfast and a fridge and microwave in the room.  A pool is a big plus, but it's not a deal breaker if the hotel doesn't have one.  Sometimes a hotel with all my non-negotiables is a little more money than another hotel without, but it always saves me money in the long run.  I can usually find a hotel with everything I want for $40-65 a night.

7- Cook in you room: Finding a hotel with free breakfast means we only have to come up with two meals a day while on vacation which saves a lot of money.  We typically only eat in a restaurant once during the whole time we're on vacation so I make sure it's a nice-ish restaurant (within my budget).  I always have it planned ahead of time.  The rest of our meals are eaten in our hotel room.  I rarely cook in the microwave at home, but I'm pretty dang good at it when we travel.  I plan my menu ahead of time and be sure to pack a couple of microwave safe bowls, a square glass baking pan, a wooden spoon, can opener, etc.  I typically pack what I can out of our fridge and food pantry at home and then hit a grocery store once we've arrived at our destination... and yes, I do find out where a grocery store is ahead of time.  I love .99 Only stores when I'm traveling.  We don't have them back home, but I've had good luck finding groceries there both in Nevada and California.  They're cheap and the packages are small which is great for a motel room so we don't waste food.

You can also cook meals ahead of time and haul them in a cooler on vacation... then all you have to do is reheat them.  This saves even more money and time, but it takes more planning and work at home.

8- Involve your family in your planning:  If everyone is excited about the vacation and aware of the budget and the plans there aren't any false hopes and expectations.  My kids know how many meals we'll be eating out, if we'll be stopping for food on the road or packing a lunch, etc.  They also know what kind of splurges we'll be making.  When we went to Disneyland I budgeted in one Disney meal a day as a special treat.  They were super excited about that because we don't usually eat in theme parks.  On our last Vegas trip the show tickets were a splurge.  Sometimes there aren't any splurges because money is super tight and they know that too. 

I've always had my kids save their own money for souvenirs.  If they're spending their own money on vacation then they're a lot pickier about what they buy.  I have a goal to take my teens on a cruise in a little over a year.  I told them that I want them to save the money to cover their own passports and I told my daughter who will be graduating cosmetology school this year that she's going to probably have to cover her cruise as well since she will be working full time and not living at home anymore.  The older the kids, the more they can contribute financially to their vacation.  It's a great responsibility teacher.

9-  Drive: My kids have never been on a plane.  Even "cheap" airfare adds up when you have multiple people in your family.  When gas was at its highest it was still cheaper for us to drive... believe me I always checked!  Driving also allows us to pack food for the drive and the motel which saves even more money.

The last two tips aren't really tips, but vacation alternatives.  Some years I just haven't been able to swing a "real" vacation, either because of finances or just because hauling young kids across a couple states was a pain I didn't want to deal with.  (When my kids were young all three of them got car sick if they were in a car more than 20 minutes!)

10-  Camping:  I know not everyone loves camping, but we love spending a few days in the mountains, at a hot spring or by a lake.  We take at least one camping trip every summer and sometimes we take several during the course of a summer.  It's inexpensive and fun!  If you're looking for a cheap getaway for your family don't rule out camping.  If you don't have a tent or camper then you can find a campground with cheap cabins.  They usually run about the same price as a hotel room, but you save a lot of money because you're cooking instead of eating out and not spending money on entertainment.

11-  Staycation: When my kids were really young we took a staycation every summer.  We'd head to Salt Lake City which was about 30 minutes from us, stay in a hotel with a pool, eat in restaurants and visit local museums, zoos and other attractions.  A couple of the years we didn't even stay in a hotel.  We just got up each morning and played tourist all day long for 3-4 days in a row.  We spent very little money, got to sleep in our own beds at night and the kids still felt like we were on vacation because we did all kinds of fun things we didn't usually do.  The kids loved it and I loved not traveling with little kids!  This works with older kids too!  There are a lot of things they want to do around town that are out of my price range, but taking a staycation allows us to do them since we save on gas and hotel!

I hope I've given you a few ideas and the courage to travel!  It makes me sad when I have friends that want to take their kids on vacation but don't feel like they can afford it.  For me it's a priority, so I make it happen!  When my kids grow up and move out they're going to remember the vacations we took together as a family and not if I had a new kitchen floor or a nice furniture.  I'm all about the memories!  Happy memories is one of the best things I can send my kids out into the world with!

Cooking it Up on Vacation: Saving Money by Eating in Your Hotel Room

Our spring break Las Vegas trip was so much fun!  One thing that worked out really well for us financially since we had a large group was not eating out at restaurants during our vacation.

Even doing fast food we would have spent a minimum of $30 at each meal, which adds up fast over five days! Our room had a kitchenette with a small fridge, microwave and sink.  All of our "cooking" was done with only those appliances.  I shopped at home to be sure I got the best deals available instead of paying Vegas grocery store prices.  When the kids and I went to San Diego two years ago we just bought our food at a grocery store there since we didn't have much car space.  This trip we had more space so I saved even more money by hitting sales and couponing.

Day 1:
Breakfast- (in the car) muffins, bagels w/cream cheese, bananas

Lunch- (stopped at a park) leftover turkey, rolls, jello salad and potato salad from our Easter dinner, cheese puffs

Dinner- peanut butter and jelly, chips

Day 2:
Breakfast- muffins, yogurt, bananas

Lunch- meat and cheese sandwiches on hoagie buns with all the fixings, pickles, chips

Dinner- chicken patty, ham and swiss sandwiches on hamburger buns, instant cheesy mashed potatoes, green beans (all cooked in the microwave), pickles

Day 3:
Breakfast- cold cereal w/milk, yogurt

Lunch- polish dogs w/ff vegetarian chili, fruit cocktail, bbq beans, pickles, chips

Dinner- Easy Mac, Cup O Noodles, chips, leftovers for the kids... the grownups tried out the hotel restaurant!

Day 4:
Breakfast- scrambled eggs, sausage, tortillas, bananas, orange juice

Scrambled eggs are very easy to cook in the microwave!  Grease your microwave-safe dish well and add 1 tablespoon of milk or water for every egg.  I did 18 eggs for our large group.  Whisk well.  Microwave on high stirring after every minute for less than six eggs or every two minutes for a larger batch until they are almost done.  Continue to stir until the heat of the eggs finishes cooking the rest and you're done!  Perfectly pretty and delicious scrambled eggs in the microwave!  

Lunch- meat and cheese sandwiches on bread or hoagies, chips, pickles, leftover beans, applesauce

Dinner- bean enchiladas, loaded nachos, olives

Bean enchiladas are a quick and easy hotel room dinner idea that can be cooked in the microwave.  You simply fill the tortillas with canned refried beans (I use fat free) and shredded cheese, roll them up and top with canned enchilada sauce and more cheese.  Heat until the center is hot and the cheese is melted.  You can garnish with sour cream, chopped lettuce, tomatoes and olives, if desired!

Day 5:
Breakfast- cold cereal w/milk, yogurt

Lunch- (in the car) variety of sandwiches, chips, applesauce, pickles

We were back home at dinner time!

By purchasing food ahead of time and cooking in our room we not only saved money, but even though a lot of what we ate was "processed", we still ate healthier than we would have eating out every meal.

I also made sure to have lots of snacks and drinks on hand for both the car ride AND in the room for starving bellies after swimming! 

My meal planning had to be creative knowing there was no stove or oven to use.  If you prefer to be less creative you can pack an electric griddle, crockpot or toaster oven for additional cooking sources.

Everything we ate was delicious and kid-friendly!  Our vacation menu was a success!

10 Ways to Save Money at Amusement Parks: Guest Blogger

My name is Marie. I am a homeschooling, coupon cutting, organizing wannabe, diet Mt. Dew drinking military wife, blogger and mother of five. I have so many things that I want to be, but am not there yet! You know that phrase, “jack of all trades, master of none” ? Well that is me!

As a resident of Southern California, I am close to quite a few amusement parks.  While our family loves to go and play, I think we can all agree that they are not cheap. Because I have a lot of kids, I have to be really careful or I could spend their college tuition at the park!

Here are my top 10 ways (in no particular order) to save money at amusement parks:

1) Go online before you get to the park! Do not buy your tickets at the gate. Look for discounts through your work, the government, teachers association, homeschooler discounts…there are so many ways to get a discount.

2) Since we live within driving distance of parks, we rarely stay at a hotel. However, when we do, we always stay a bit away from the park. Rates are usually lower. I always look for a place that offers rewards points,  a government discount and a continental breakfast. If I am going to stay there, I am going to try and get something more for my money! Once again, pay attention to any discounts that may be available to you.

3) Go in the off season. I know that this doesn’t always work for everyone, but even pushing your vacation off a week or two can make a difference. We went to Universal Studios over Christmas break and could barely get through the crowds. Two weeks later we practically had the place to ourselves!

4) While I don’t know any park that allows outside food, most have to allow water. So don’t pay for an overpriced water bottle. Bring a refillable bottle in with you and refill through the day. You can also grab drink packets (like Kool Aid, Crystal Light…) from the dollar store and keep those with you.

 5) Don’t forget batteries! I think digital cameras are notorious for sucking up batteries. If you want to capture those moments, make sure to have plenty of extras. I like to go to a warehouse club and grab a nice big pack before I go.

6) When our family went to Legoland, our plan was to go to a fast food place close to the park for lunch. However, it turned out we would have to pay our parking fee again. We had to decide whether it was worth it or not.  There are a few things that we do, to help curb costs. Water only. From OUR water bottles. Just because you may not be able to leave the park, doesn’t mean you can’t go to your car. Keep a cooler filled with snacks and have a picnic at your car. You can have crackers, juice boxes, fruit, sandwiches etc. When we do eat in the park, if there is an all you can eat option, we take it. Our family is big, and we can eat a lot! If there isn’t an all you can eat, we look to see if there is a pizza place. Instead of buying individual meals, we can buy one that is a family size. Have two kids with similar tastes share one adult meal instead of two kids’ meals. 

7) My kids have never met a gift shop that they didn’t  like. Before we go inside, they are told whether or not they have an amount to spend.  Do not make up your mind in the store! Have it set in your mind what is acceptable. We do not go over it. Our family always buys a magnet for our  fridge, it is a great way to see all the places we have been.

8) Our family rule is, “if you can buy it at Target or Wal Mart, you are not buying it here”. I can’t count how many times my kids have brought me an item that they could easily get somewhere else. I also do not allow them to use their budgeted money on candy, food or drinks. Nope, not gonna happen!

9) Just because you are at an amusement park, you can still  find deals in their gift shops. At Six Flags I found my son a Scooby Doo pillow on clearance for $2. It is his “car seat pillow” and he uses it in the car all the time. Look in back corners for items on clearance.

10) Relax and have fun. Do not throw your budget out the window in the name of fun. It isn’t about what you buy, but the experiences shared.

Crystal Hot Springs Camping Trip & Campfire Cinnamon Biscuits

I've had a couple dozen people ask me where we went camping... We went to the Crystal Hot Springs in Honeyville, UT.  We were looking for a vacation spot that was close and cheap and it was both!  It was about an hour and a half drive from Utah County and driving there and back, including a side trip to Logan one day only used half a tank of gas ($25).  They had a 10% off camping coupon on their website, so a camping spot for three days came to $40.  Even with the swimming which was $12/family on Monday night and $6/adults, $4.50/kids for a day pass regular price it was a very inexpensive vacation. 

I thought I'd share a few camping pics, a review of the hot springs and a yummy campfire recipe with you!  Why not?  Sounds like a plan :)

Nina takes as many pics as I do!  Here we are leaving the gas station! LOL

These monkeys were SOOO excited to go on vacation!   The drive was uneventful.   I'm so glad my kiddos are older now.  Car rides aren't a big deal anymore.

Once you get off the freeway there are plenty of signs to direct you to the hot springs.

When we arrived at the Crystal Hot Springs, the staff ignored us for a bit as they carried on a conversation about an upcoming event they had going on.  Then they asked my opinion, and I of course had one.  I had already read about the event on facebook and had thought about attending it, but it seems they didn't have enough interest to carry it out the way they had wanted.  (I think it could have been advertised better.)  I was half-tempted to offer to host the thing for them to get them a turn-out (just because I wanted Nina to join in LOL), but I held my tongue.  We all know how much I LOVE hosting and promoting events, but an hour and a half away is a bit far for me to volunteer.  Maybe I should have offered my facebook services for a free night of camping? haha

The staff was super friendly and laid back and our spot was reserved just as we had planned.  I was a little disappointed that we were out on the edge of the campground and not on the pretty, grassy side by the restrooms.  I'm not quite sure why the RV people need huge grassy areas and bathrooms with showers when the tent folks have dirt and port-a-potties.  You'd think it would be the other way around.  The weather was a bit blah our first day, but after eating a picnic lunch, we set up camp.  We had an early dinner of chicken salad sandwiches and then took advantage of the $12 per family Monday night swimming.  The warm pool looked a little scary, but it felt super good!  The minerals are crazy strong though so be prepared to drink LOTS of water and lotion A LOT afterward.  They suck the moisture right out of you.

We thought it was so cool to have geese in our camp spot...  Ummm yeah... turns out they were evil!  The first night we were there they got into EVERYTHING that wasn't in a hard plastic container... they spread stuff all over and made a huge mess!

Look at these hot dog buns!  They pecked each one!!!  They didn't even eat them... just pecked them!  How many of you can say you had your buns pecked by a goose while camping? *grin*

Our second day camping we drove the 30 minutes to Logan.  We were hoping to hit our favorite discount store, but alas... it had closed down *pout*.  We still went to the Pepperidge Farm factory and bought fishy crackers in bulk for cheap (we won't discuss how a can of Coke spilled into a 3lb bag and I had to throw them away).  We also went to the Gossner Dairy and bought flavored milks.  If you've ever lived in Logan, Utah you're most likely familiar with these milks... they're shelf stable 8oz boxes of milk in flavors like root beer, cookies & cream, mango (my fave), orange cream and more.  They come in 2% and fat free.  We used to go up to Logan once a summer and buy enough to last the year.  Logan is the first place I lived when I moved away from home, so we've been enjoying Gossner's for a long time :)

That night we had hobo dinners! MMmmm!

my sister and me

Wednesday we bought all day swim passes and spent most of the day in and next to the pool.  Check out my crazy farmer's tan!  I got big time burned Saturday at our yard sale and got heat exhaustion in the process... it was not a good thing!  I was hoping to even out my tan while swimming, but I sunblocked so dang much I didn't get much darker on the white areas.  I'm a big fan of sunblock and pale skin... I hate how dark I'm getting this summer!  I also hate farmer's tans while wearing a swimsuit! LOL

There are three pools at the Crystal Hot Springs, and some hot tubs as well.  The hot tubs were WAY too hot for me, even when it was cold out.  They were uncomfortable hot.  The soaking pool was pretty warm itself.  I was ok in it in the evening, but during the sunshiny day it was a bit too warm, even in the shade.  There are two cooler pools though, including an Olympic size pool.  Whenever I'd start to feel overheated (remember I was still getting over heat exhaustion) I'd dip in the cooler pool.

My sister are I are people watchers and although the crowds were small (hooray!) we still had plenty of people to watch and make up stories for.  You can't people watch without giving people nicknames and back stories :)

The water was so relaxing, my nephew fell asleep right in the pool!

Ignore my legs, but look at that sucker!  They sell them in the office for .50.  They're pina colada flavored and quite delicious!  The oval shape is perfect to suck on too!  We tried other flavors as well, but this was the winner!

Wednesday evening the winds kicked up like you wouldn't believe!  The tents were collapsing and our stuff was blowing everywhere!  It was insane!  We were tempted to go home, but I went and talked to the guys in the office.  You can see behind this tree where my adorable son is posing that the tent spots were right by a giant empty field.  The wind was flying through the field and blowing us away!  I went in and asked if we could be moved to the pretty grassy RV side where the wind wasn't so bad.  The first guy I talked to said no and I was debating on getting ornery or just packing up and heading home a night early, but then one of the other guys who we had talked to several times stepped in and put us right in the spot we wanted.  He gave great customer service!  We had to haul all of our stuff (including two tents full of bedding) across the campground, but we set up in a nice grassy area.

This has absolutely nothing to do with my story at this point, but I felt we needed a food break.  How yummy do these smores look???  Giant marshmallows and peanut butter cups!  Yes, we know how to eat when we camp!  Anyways, back to the story.

I was so proud of our little tent for how well it withstood the insane winds!

The RV spots are SOOO much better than the camp spots.  Ask for them when you go!  They are $10 more and are for "RVs only", but pout and beg so you can stay on the night pretty, non-windy grass next to the good bathrooms.  We got POURED on with rain on the last night, but at least the wind was gone!  We cooked polish dogs and beans on the camp stove since everything was too wet for a fire and we ate in the tent.

no makeup and very wet :)

We had to clean up camp in between crazy hail, rain and bits of sunshine, but we did it!  It was such a fun week!  The weather was horrible, but I'd totally camp there again sometime!  Everyone was friendly and it's a great location.  We had such an awesome family bonding time.  I love my kiddos so much!  Now we're trying to wash tons and tons of wet blankets (we don't own sleeping bags), clean our house since all our gear just got dropped on the floor, dry out our tent and recover from the trip.  ZZzzzz  Hooray for camping!

I'd feel very guilty if I didn't post a recipe after abandoning my blog for so long (isn't it funny how two weeks is so long?), so here it is!

Campfire Cinnamon Biscuits

Place butter, cinnamon and sugar into a metal pie plate.  I saved my pie tin from the last time I had a frozen pie.  I don't measure ingredients while camping... I'd say it was about 2-3 TBSP of butter though.

 

Cover with tin foil and melt butter over hot coals. (I am not a fan of these built in grates over the fire pits.... it was very hard to cook.)

 

Once the butter is melted, add a can of refrigerated biscuits over the butter.  Spray your tinfoil with cooking spray and recover the pan.  Cook over hot coals for around 15 minutes turning over half-way through.  If you tinfoil is on the pan nice and tight, you won't have a problem flipping the pan over.

Here is what they look like when they're done!  We made these two different nights and they were gone in two minutes!  Next time I will bring two pie plates so I can make double batches!

Invert onto a plate and wa-la!  You're done! MMmmmm

Here was our camping menu:

lunch- packed a picnic

dinner- chicken salad (prepared at home) or tuna sandwiches, chips & salsa, pickles, crackers, etc

dessert- cinnamon biscuits, smores, hot cocoa

late night snack after swimming: shrimp & cocktail sauce, chips & salsa

breakfast- eggs, hashbrowns, peppers, cheese and salsa in tortillas, hot cocoa

lunch- ate in town

dinner- hobo dinners, cinnamon biscuits

dessert- smores, hot cocoa

breakfast- cereal, yogurt, poptarts, leftover eggs/hashbrown mix, hot cocoa

lunch- ham & cheese sandwiches, crackers & dip, leftover shrimp, chips, etc.

dinner- polish dogs, baked beans, chips

dessert- cookies

breakfast- ham & cheese quesadillas, cinnamon toast, hot cocoa