Category: boun-see seats

August 19, 2013

Weekend Highlights

After taking a few trips in June and July, the weekends seem to get shorter and shorter because the prospective days off get fewer and further between. But we don’t like to spend our weekends complaining about our lack of time, we go gangbusters and try to get every last drop out of them that we can.

Yesterday found us on the Wisconsin waterways. Hubster got done with work early and asked if we wanted to go for a little boat ride. Well, sure. If only I’d known that little boat ride would be six hours long, I would’ve packed more sunscreen, snacks and drinks. But I digress. Despite the sunburn, it was an amazing trip in my dad’s little fishing boat.

This was what our view looked like almost all day. Just beautiful trees over the water with amazing streams of light coming out of the clouds.

Actually, my view looked mostly like this. Ha! This knucklehead is a baby of a pit bull. Every time we hit choppy waters, he whined and tried to hide. But these calm waters made for a happy pooch.

Anyone know what these birds are? We found an island that had these white-looking trees just littered with these birds. It was a bit “Birds” creepy but cool at the same time.

We saw turtles sunbathing on almost every open log.

I love spending my days with these guys.

Two abandoned outhouses in the middle of nowhere.

Only in Wisconsin.

And…….I saved the best for last. Look at this majestic bird Hubster spotted out on the power lines on our way back. Such a rare treat:

Yesterday was completely unplanned, but I enjoyed every minute of it, even the time Hubster jumped a wave and got all of us soaked. Peanut started to cry until he saw how hard we were laughing. Crisis averted. Memories made. What a good day!

August 13, 2013

Annual Perseid Picnic

I like to be completely intentional about family traditions as much as possible. Some traditions happen by happy accident, but many of them take some thought and preparation. Before Peanut was even born, I thought about special, unconventional things that we could do together every year to form some deep-rooted traditions that will maybe even be passed off into the next generation.

Out of those personal brainstorms, the Perseid Picnic was born. How cool would it be to take my Peanut out well past his bedtime to watch a meteor shower every year? How cool would it be to have a midnight picnic at the same time? After that, I could think of nothing else. This was an amazing idea that I just couldn’t pass up. In fact, we tried it out officially during last year’s Perseid meteor shower and I could already tell then this was a winner.

So, Peanut, his cousin and I geared up for another year of star-gazing. We grabbed snacks, binoculars, and a picnic blanket and headed to as dark-yet-safe a spot as we could find. We propped our heads on a park bench and waited. Thing is, 5 and 6 year olds do not have a whole lot of patience for these types of things. We only last about 1/2-hour, but that’s ok. My nephew got to see a shooting star last year and Peanut got to see one this year, so I’m just happy that they’ve gotten to experience that thrill in a small way. I didn’t see my first shooting star until college! As they grow older, I’m sure we’ll explore this astral phenomenon in a bit more depth and be able to stay up a little later, make more of an event of this 🙂

Afterward, we went home and camped out in our little backyard tent. It rained, but we were protected by our big beautiful maple tree and the sloping hill we were perched on. We had such a fun time soaking in these final summer experiences before school starts. I truly hope that these special moments together create meaningful memories for my Peanut and his cousin and that one day they know just how much these little traditions mean.

What are your favorite family traditions?

August 8, 2013

How to Travel on a Budget

I am the queen of travelling on a budget. Take our recent trips to Mackinac Island, Door County and Chicago for examples. We were able to take these three exciting trips within a month of each other without robbing our regular monthly budget. I also happen to be a super resourceful person, so we get quite a lot more out of our trips than I suspect some others do. Let me clue you in to the tips and tricks I use to get every last drop out of our trips that we can:

1. Travel Sunday through Thursday: On our recent Mackinac Island trip, we did just that and the rates were significantly lower during the work week. We’ve done this before with trips to Wisconsin Dells as well, and ended up paying pennies for a week full of memories. Weekends are huge in the world of tourism, so travelling during the week can work to your advantage. If you’re taking a week off of work anyway, why not travel Sunday through Thursday? Hey, that even leaves you a full three-day weekend to take a vacation from your vacation.

2. Travel during the off-season: similar to #1 above, travelling just outside of the purported “high-season” will save you significantly. We got dirt cheap rates for a motel in Wisconsin Dells when we traveled in mid-June. It was still hot enough to enjoy all the water parks and outdoor attractions, but too early to be considered part of the high season. We got to enjoy the sites for cheaper and with far fewer other people clamoring for rides. Check to see if there is an off-season for your desired destination and plan your trip around that.

3. Stick with the envelope system: Prior to leaving for any of our trips, I always designate a certain amount of funds to fixed costs such as gas, motel, food and must-see sites. Then, I put away a little for “extras” like souvenirs, extra dinners out, parking costs and other things. We adhere strictly to this envelope system to keep our spending in check because it can be easy to get carried away with treats and unnecessary souvenirs. With my envelope system, we don’t end up with a bunch of extra junk in our luggage and really give thought to what we’re throwing money at. I’d much rather sacrifice an extra beach towel for an off-road ATV ride any day. Experiences always trump “things.” Your spending should reflect that.

4. Sacrifice a nicer hotel for more experiences: Really, we’re generally only in our hotel room to sleep. Therefore, we don’t need anything extravagant. Yes, we want something decent, but it doesn’t have to be much more than a clean bed, a hot shower and a microwave. That way, we can spare more expenses for memories and experiences. Those are much more important. You will save a significant amount of money if you can find a decent hotel with just the basics. With a little research, you can weed out the really awful places and find something just right. When we went to Chicago in June, our requirements were that we had parking, were within 15 miles of my NASM workshop, were in a decent neighborhood and had a pool to use. Know what you absolutely need and cut out the rest. With research, we ended up finding a decent, clean Best Western for a really good price and were able to spend more on museums and other excursions. You may even be able to score a hotel that is a step up by using travel discount sites like Priceline. This could be a bullet point of its own, but you should never pay full price for your hotel! Check out the prices on several travel sites before you make your final booking.

5. Find package deals. On our recent Mackinac Island trip, I was able to save a significant amount of money by packaging what we knew we needed with our hotel booking. We bought our ferry tickets and butterfly museum tickets along with our hotel room on the Chamber of Tourism website, saving us $7.50 per person. Hotels themselves often offer coupons and special deals, and some travel sites are equipped to do this for you too. If you know exactly what you’ll need for the trip, go ahead and buy tickets at a reduced price ahead of time.

6. Bring your own food. Eating out is definitely something we enjoy doing on vacation, but we try to limit it as much as we can because it can be really expensive when all added up. By bringing sandwiches, yogurt, granola bars, popcorn and other travel-friendly foods in a cooler, we always save a lot on food. We usually plan one or two special restaurant dinners out and enjoy the rest of our meals at picnics or in our room. Beach and boat picnics offer much more significant memories than another restaurant meal anyway. You will probably end up eating more healthy if you use this strategy too!

7. Take advantage of amenities: Our last hotel had one of the best free continental breakfasts I’ve ever experienced. We were able to eliminate some of our food expenses due to this. We filled up in the morning and only had to eat light lunches. There was also an on-site gym, outdoor playground and indoor water park at our disposal. Some of our food and entertainment was built right into the hotel cost! Factor in these amenities to your trip planning to reduce some of your costs.

8. Do your research: Find as many free and low-cost forms of entertainment that you can. Don’t spare expenses for what you really want to do, but do be resourceful about things you can do and see without spending a mint. Check travel websites for what other people are saying and for what locals already know. You might find some hidden gems that others don’t know about or ways to get around certain costs. We’ve found countless free festivals, concerts, historical sites, lighthouses, beaches, museums, state parks and much more that leave us with amazing memories and no travel debt! I mean, swimming in the Great Lakes and catching that colorful awe-inspiring sunset under the Mackinaw Bridge cost us nothing, but those memories will last a lifetime.

9. Check your rewards and memberships: Our local EAA passes got us into the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago for free. In fact, there are hundreds of museums across the country that our passes will get us into for free, so we try to see if there are any nearby whenever we travel. Check with your credit cards, AAA membership, workplace and other places you belong to find discounts and cash in on those points. We also like to save our reward dollars from our credit card just for trips. My and Hubster’s workplaces even offer discounted tickets on places like water and theme parks. It really pays to check out what’s available to you through your various connections and memberships.

10. Use unconventional income sources: A good portion of our trip expenses are brought to us by the cash we get from a friend who rents a room in our house. Explore new ways to bring in extra cash and then dedicate that portion entirely to trips. If you didn’t miss that income before, you won’t miss it now. I have also worked on some freelance writing projects, cashed in our credit card reward dollars, saved our tax returns and sold some unnecessary items from our home online or at rummage sales to sweep together travel funds. You could also squirrel away 1% of your normal income automatically to a dedicated savings account or earmark work bonuses for special travel occasions. Find a way to bring in extra cash, be diligent about saving, and you just might be able to go on your dream vacation–or at least head out of town for the weekend.

11. Stay a little further down the road. Staying directly in the city you which to visit can sometimes be more pricey. For example, staying for a week on Mackinac Island would probably have cost us double what we paid to stay on the mainland. We were still able to enjoy all the pleasures of the island, but we were also even able to explore much more of the upper Michigan area this way. One day, we simply drove down the road until we hit a small town. We wouldn’t have been able to do as much on the Island. Same thing with our Door County trip. Staying right in Fish Creek or Bailey’s Harbor would have set us back more than our little cabin just a tad bit down the road. Staying in a tourist-driven city is notoriously more expensive than staying just a bit outside.

12. Take shorter, closer trips: as you can tell by my family’s travel experiences this year, we like to take vacation within a day’s drive of our home. There are so many places that feel like a whole different world that take no more than a five hour’s drive. Research places in your home state that you’ve never been before and I’m sure you’ll find enough worthwhile trips to last you decades. As a bonus, you won’t have the gas or flight costs associated with further travel. Likewise, we enjoy taking shorter, more frequent trips. If you’re staying close to home, your travel time doesn’t eat up your actual vacation time as much. Also, when you break the year up into smaller slices like that, you have so much more to look forward to, it’s easier to budget for trips, and hey, your work productivity might even surge.

I truly hope these 12 tips give you some useful tips for travelling on a budget. It really is possible to visit new places, even with lighter income streams. Please, don’t let that vacation time roll over into next year’s paycheck. Take some time today to plan your next trip. You’ll be glad you did. What are you top ways to save?

August 2, 2013

Secret Hiding Spots and the EAA Convention

Two of the most infamous things Oshkosh, WI is known for is the origin of the Oshkosh B’Gosh clothing line and the EAA convention. We host a few other big-ish events like Country USA and Rock USA, but EAA is one of the most well-renowned events that draws thousands upon thousands of people from all over the country–and beyond US borders. The airport gets jam-packed with campers and rows and rows of personal planes. People from Oshkosh even rent out their homes and yards to visitors for extra cash and everyone in town grumbles about driving anywhere remotely near the EAA grounds. But they put on quite the show. The fly-in offers everything aircraft-related you could ever imagine.

We used to play the license plate game during EAA when we were younger. We’d drive through all the restaurant and hotel parking lots to try and find one license plate from every state. I’ve even seen Hawaii and Alaska plates!

This year, we bought a family membership to the EAA museum due to the shortage of any indoor places around here to take a child during the winter. I mean, even our McDonald’s doesn’t have a Playland anymore and the closest kid-friendly cafe just shut down. There’s nothing in this town for kids to do in winter. Nothing. Nada. However, we found that the EAA museum offers a really neat children’s discovery area complete with simulators, cockpits and all kinds of exciting stuff.

Now, this membership comes in really handy during the actual EAA convention. I decided to take Peanut to the EAA museum, right on the EAA grounds, to see if we could watch some of the live air shows. The air shows are really spectacular. Every day this week, locals will see all different kinds of planes do tricks in the air. There will be plane formations, smoke shows, parachute jumps, blimps, plane dives and all sorts of other cool things. This is really cool, even if you’re not a real airplane person.

Well, Peanut and I found a secret spot where we can really watch the airshow from front-row seats without having to pay admission to the grounds. And we even took a driving route in the back way that wasn’t flooded with traffic. Now, I’ve been on the grounds before. Living in Oshkosh, at one time or another, you end up working somewhere or other there. But to pay admission every year could really wipe out one’s entertainment budget. Now, with our secret spot, we get to watch the show for free. And no one else really came around the secret spot either. We had the place to ourselves! I’m sure this will become a tradition for Peanut and I each year going forward, now that we found this great spot.

We’re spending these last few weeks of summer vacation with as much excitement as we can. EAA presented another opportunity to do just that and it didn’t cost us anything!

How are you taking advantage of these last few moments of summer vacation?

July 31, 2013

Peanut Turns 5

Peanut turns 5 today. We’re trying to convince him he’s turning 3, because time moves backwards, right? I mean, there’s no way my 4-year-old could be turning 5. Oh, we had a good laugh about that last night. He asked for a glass of milk and I told him “No way! If you drink milk and grow your bones, then you’re going to turn 5!” He giggled and I relented. But seriously, how do 5 entire years pass by in such a wisp, like a moving cloud?

This little boy is one of the best gifts a momma could ask for. He’s intelligent, he’s considerate, he’s helpful, he’s sensitive to others’ needs, he’s spiritual, he’s headstrong, he’s a born leader, he’s athletic, he’s funny and he’s all mine. I’m so proud that I get to be his momma.

Every year, I write him a letter and tuck it away for him for when he gets older. It’s a special little tradition that I hold close to my heart. I tell him what I’m thinking about him at this particular stage in his life, so it sort of is like a record of his life and a confession of what being his momma is really like for me. You see, as a writer and mother, these things are so much easier to write and record than to ever explain to him out loud. Someday, I hope he appreciates these letters.

I also purchase a special coin set for him every year from the US Mint. He has quite the little collection building that I hope someday makes him smile. We have one coin set minted from every year since he’s been alive.

I just love my little Peanut to pieces. I must’ve done something right for God to give me such a sweet little kid.

Happy Birthday Peanut!

July 19, 2013

Summer Mission List

I’ve been trying to formulate a last-stretch-of-summer mission list for Peanut and me to complete to really get the full experience of summer before it’s gone again. Mostly I’m looking for free or very low cost experiences that still provide enough of an impact to form special memories. I think that the Advent calendar should carry over into other parts of the year, don’t you? It’s too easy to be distracted by the little parts of daily life that sometimes keep us from enjoying the season. These little Missions give us a chance to be completely intentional about our time and productivity, ensuring that we don’t just let time pass, but we take control of our time and make it the best we can make it.

These are just some of the things I’ve been dreaming about:

1. Painting sticks
2. Taking a photography tour
3. Identify some local birds
4. Trip to The Well ice cream shop
5. Trampoline fun
6. Baseball at the park
7. Camp in the backyard
8. Watch the airplanes from the kids’ “tower” during EAA
9. Using twigs to write letters
10. Make popsicles
11. Try disc golf
12. Go to an outdoor concert
13. Have a picnic in a new park

This weekend we head out for Mackinac Island, Michigan. I can’t wait to visit this location that is purported to be like being transported to a whole different locale. White sandy beaches, local fudge shops, indoor water parks, sand dunes, horseback riding… Oh I just can’t wait. We’ve been doing quite well for traveling this summer, and it’s been doing well for us. Can’t wait to stop back in here and give you guys some snapshots of what we’re up to.

Enjoy your week!

July 13, 2013

Summer So Far

Here in Wisconsin, it didn’t warm up for summer until about four weeks ago. Although we live in the “Frozen Tundra,” this is pretty unusual even for us. Add to that the fact that at the office where I work, they keep the thermostat set at “purple lips.” So, it just hasn’t quite set in yet that it’s summer. That doesn’t stop Peanut and me from having fun though.

We’ve been busy.

Our town holds a yearly festival called Sawdust Days which is really something to see. It’s not just a small little festival, it’s quite spread out and full of things to do. It always coincides with the Fourth of July too, so fireworks are held there every year. I myself make a beeline for the roasted corn. There are amusement park rides, games, food of all kinds and ethnicities, bands, a flea market, and an old world style camp/market area. I once needed a leather hide for a drum project and I actually found one there! Peanut even snagged a cute little crossbow with rubber arrows for his birthday so he can be Daniel Boone.

You can buy arrowheads, dragon feet (crocodile feet), leather items, animal furs, fresh-brewed root beer, and all sorts of old world items in this little campout trading post. The vendors usually come in full costume and actually sleep in their tents and tee-pees.

You can even hold teeny little monkeys at Sawdust Days:

And feed and ride huge camels:

Aside from that one week of festival goodness, we also like to find things to do around our house and town that don’t cost much, if anything.

Storage tubs make great “hot tubs” in the summer. We make our own fun!

We do a lot of Lego-playing outside with the big blocks:

Climbing on old army trucks was Peanut’s reward for doing so well at the dentist’s office right down the street. He actually used the words “I love going to the dentist!” I couldn’t be any more pleased.

Playing at our town’s splash pad with some friends:

And hitting up the rides at the city park:

I’m really loving that my almost-5-year-old is so active. Anything to keep him away from the TV or computer lifestyle is what we strive for. I mentioned before that I’d like to do a summertime version of the Advent calendar and I might just do that. I’ve got some other simple ideas up my sleeve that will keep Peanut and I productive and happy and also hopefully give my Peanut more pleasant memories from his childhood. I just think I need a more structured plan to actually carry it all out, and a calendar would be just the thing. Do I smell another DIY brewing? Maybe, just maybe…

June 4, 2013

Chaperone Trip to Sullivan’s Woods

Peanut went on his first field trip last week, and I happily signed up to be a chaperone, which nowadays requires a full background check, but I guess I’d rather be safe than sorry too when it comes to our little Peanuts. Anyhow, we went to visit this little patch of land that belongs to the local school system. I never even knew this place existed and I’ve been living here my whole life. It always feels a little magical to find places like that, that you didn’t even know were there all along.

One of my little buddy’s teachers is so well-versed in the flora and fauna of nature that she made such a great nature guide. Check out this amazing giant hollow tree.

It was a relatively hot day compared to the weather we’ve been having lately here in Wisconsin, but it felt good to be out in it, playing a little hooky. Well, not really. My boss knew where I was;) But it’s fun to pretend.

This was only one of two trips I’ve ever chaperoned in my life. I was lucky enough to chaperone for my youngest sister’s 8th grade graduation trip to Six Flags. I’m sure there will be plenty more to come, but I’m just so happy to hang onto these memories.

Not sure what these flowers are, but they seemed to be blossoming pretty well where there was a lack of any other type of greenery.

Our amazing field guide had scouted out the place beforehand and had cleverly hidden this little gem for the kids to see. She was guessing that it was a raccoon claw. She had also found an owl pellet on her scavenger hunt. Good eye!

We saw pitcher plants, heard frogs croaking, followed the trails of crawling ivy, found some shed bunny fur, and climbed on plenty of downed trees. We also spotted fungus in quite a few places.

Four-year-olds are such darlings. One little girl, who had never met me before, grabbed my hand to hold a few times without a word. It’s just heartwarming. I forget sometimes that I’m a mother figure until other kids start asking me for snacks and holding my hand. I’m so glad I got to experience Peanut’s first field trip right along with him, complete with a few requisite rounds of “Wheels on the Bus” on our trip back home.

January 31, 2013

What’s Going on Here?

Things have been pretty peachy around here. A lot of fun, everyday things, caught on my camera phone, have been turning into remarkable memories. You know, things along of the line of your job getting an upgrade to manager and spending your evenings skiing instead of loitering in the living room.

Best things about this past week:

1. Got promoted to manager at my job. My title is now Web Copy Manager, and I am in charge of two highly talented interns. Thus, Hubster and I had reason to get dressed up and celebrate. Sangrias are one of my favorite ways to imbibe, on those rare occasions that I actually do.

2. Some days, you just feel like finding a hole-in-the-wall diner and eating there. There’s something so luring about outings with no expectations of you or your destination. You get that down-home feel and backwoods prices. And it’s been at least a decade since I’ve seen one of these rad dinosaur crayon holders:

And diners are the only place where it’s acceptable for your kids to stack all the jelly packets, right? Oh, is that just us?

3. This idea fascinates me. The library in a nearby city creates these little reading spots where you can grab a free book. Isn’t this the most charming little nook ever? Totally made my day.

4. My brother-in-law and nephew created this awesome snow fort at my mom’s house last time we got dumped on. It has three entryways/exits. This brings back so many memories from childhood. Most of us up here in Wisconsin dread the snow. But you have a choice: move away, dread it, or embrace it. This is a perfect example of working with what you’ve been given.

5. Another way to avoid the TV trap: go to Kwik Trip, buy two loaves of 50 cent bread, head to the park, and feed the non-migrating ducks. Oh, and you know, check out the beautiful sunset while you’re there.

6. Either we can complain about getting dumped on with loads and loads of snow, or we can go out and play in it. Plus, after awhile, you start to feel warm and don’t get all bummed by that I-can’t-stand-this-cold attitude. It’s also a great way for the whole family to embrace fitness in a non-fitness-y way. The best part? Finding the most adorable little set of skis and poles for a four-year-old. I can hardly stand it!

7. I’ve been on a mission for months now to keep on trying new foods, and after a funny comment made by a friend about how I eat all these weird “tofu” things, I thought, what the heck? It was only $2 at the grocery store. It wasn’t quite as gross as others had led me to believe. It had an egg white-like texture and egg whites are a staple for me. I tried the tofu in a teriyaki stir fry and it was just fine. Such a great alternative source of protein!

So, what have you been up to lately? Any particularly troublesome areas in your life that you’ve learned to embrace or have turned into something you love? Or any ways in which the ordinary has turned into something much better?

December 15, 2012

Life in a Northern Town Part Two

On a recent trip to the Northern Woods of Wisconsin (read Part One here), we had the prime opportunity to tour a cluster of freshwater waterfalls. Now, I knew this trip was going to be good. But I didn’t realize just how “alive” I would feel being in some of the most beautiful places in the state, hearing that rushing water, feeling the crisp air, and hearing the low thuds under our feet as we navigated the soft ground was beyond compare.

We did a self-guided waterfall tour of the waterfalls in Crivitz, WI. There really isn’t ample information on the web about the tour, but we happened to find an area activity pamphlet at a local business that provided directions. Otherwise, there isn’t much info available anywhere. Not even from the locals we asked. And when we tried to go by our own directions, we failed. Use the pamphlet!!!

Much of our drive around consisted of either dirt or gravel roads. That’s how far away from civilization we were. It looked like the primary bulk of the population was weekenders with “cabins” set deep in the woods. For one weekend, I loved it! You could tell that even the trails that led to the waterfalls were pretty scarcely travelled. I abhor touristy destinations, and this was about the least touristy that one could get. “Rustic” is even putting it lightly (don’t worry, our motel had cable, internet and running water, ha!).

When grandma used to shoo us out the back door to get some “fresh air,” she never knew she was preparing me for an appreciation of things like this.

I can’t wait to make this a yearly fall tradition

Neither can he!

When I was a kid, we used to travel “up north” somewhere every year for a big family reunion. I’m not even sure how we were related to those people, but it was the time of my life. My all-time greatest memories revolve around breathtaking color-changing trees, investigating long-abandoned cottages and motor homes in the woods, canoeing on the tiny nestled-in lake, eating all the food we could ever imagine, imagining conjured ghosts, feeling so warm and connected, almost staying overnight there (until someone mentioned wolf howls) and playing with other kids on the beautiful screened-in porch. I decided I could either remain nostalgic and regretful about this lost tradition forever or begin a new one with my family. Hence, this autumn “up north” road trip was born.

What are your greatest childhood memories? Did you ever wish you were Huck Finn too?