Life is Great in a 31 by 8

25 Days to go, and the Deer Head in the RV

2014-02-03T20:22:00.002-05:00

Whew! It's all starting to come down to the wire! Not that we're complaining- we finally picked up our new camper Friday, so things are moving in the right direction. We've decided to take the plunge and get rid of our b&m (brick and mortar) home. Exit date (and date we're supposed to start our hosting gig) is February 28th. That's 25 days from now! Scuse me while I go have a panic attack!

Now, we've been living in the RV for 675 days now, so you may think this is no big deal. In some ways, it isn't. By getting a new camper, we've tripled, maybe even quadrupled our living space. But we've had the house to trade out our seasonal clothes and gear, store our ~~tubs of kids' artwork, photos, cards, and other stuff I can't get rid of~~ sentimental items, display the deer head and antique china, and, of course, hold all our furniture. And then there's the barn, for the 12 tubs of Christmas decorations, 2-3 tubs of Halloween stuff, and all the ~~man equipment~~ tools. We've tried to be serious about minimizing, but we have so much ~~junk~~ stuff!

Ok, I'm now sensing a theme here. I'm worried about storage. Yep. Now I feel a little, um, materialistic, for even saying that. We've really pared down the stuff we're keeping. And we have more to do. We're being brutal, I swear. But some stuff you just gotta keep. What about the books from every grade of my kids' elementary school with all their artwork, writing, etc? Don't tell me I can scan it and save the digital copy- NOT the same! Ditto with pictures. Brian wants to mount the deer head in the RV- can you imagine that?
So let's just establish there are some things that are sacred and I'm just saving...somewhere.

Then there's things we don't need in the RV, don't have room for, but I hate to get rid of. I think we've decided our three couches are just going to Goodwill, as well as our two recliners and entertainment center. Part of me worries, "What if we move back into a real house and have no furniture?" Silly, I know. We'll keep the kids' beds, as well as our bedroom suite. We painted the kids' dressers when they were babies, so those have sentimental value, as do my antique sewing table and what we call the "junk" cabinet, a pine dresser we refinished. We'll keep the coffee tables, as they are nice, and were the first furniture we bought together. Not sure about the kitchen table, desks, and bookshelves yet. We bought the washer about a month before we started full-timing, so it's gotta stay just because it cost so much! The dryer could stay or go- it's not new. Obviously we need a storage unit.

Then there are the small items, like a breadmaker. I don't necessarily need it in the RV, but I love it and don't want to get rid of it. I'm having trouble letting go of little things like the mini crockpot, the deep fryer, blender, etc. I know I don't have room for it all, but I want it. What if I need it? What about the nebulizer or humidifier?

Can you tell I'm feeling a little overwhelmed? We have 25 days to...
- Get old camper cleaned out. Be brutal. Keep good stuff and move to new RV. Clean out old RV and get ready to sell. Fix awning that tore off.
- Go through house. Be brutal. Throw away junk, donate usable stuff. Clean house and yard.
- Rent storage unit. Move keepable stuff there.
- Get new camper 100% set up. Figure out where to put everything.
- Keep homeschooling the kids and working full time.

It will all be worth it. We can do it. It will all be worth it. We can do it. It will all be worth it. We can do it......

It's Happening... We Bought a New Camper

2014-01-25T14:53:00.000-05:00

I still don't believe it. The last few months have been full of ups and downs... mostly downs. We've literally been to every camper dealership within a 250 mile radius... I think 23 at last count. We've explored camper after camper after camper, only to find something wrong, or it gets sold, or the salespeople are sleazy, or the price isn't right... We finally found the perfect camper- a 2013 Prime Time Avenger 33 BHS. It had almost everything exactly as we wanted it...double slides in the bunkhouse, a dinette in the bunkhouse for roadschooling, plenty of storage space (super important since we're planning on living in it), a u shaped dinette, real cherry cabinets, heated underbelly, and, most importantly, three slides, and plenty of ROOM!

Coming from a no slide camper, where the kids had to make up the kitchen table and sofa into their beds every night and put them away every morning, it's like a mansion! We decided, oh, back at the beginning of December, this was THE.ONE. Threw away all the lists with columns for slides, bathroom rating, pros and cons, bunkhouse details, price, etc. With the craziness of the holidays, we kinda hem hawed around until the beginning of January trying to get all our ducks in a row and be sure this is what we should do. Finally, a couple weeks ago, we decided to go for it.

We called the RV salesman we'd dealt with. First bad omen- he doesn't remember us- as in has NO clue who Brian is when he calls. (Gee, this makes me think his getting all teary eyed and choked up when we shared with him that we prayed on the way down there to give us a good Christian dealership where we knew we'd be treated right was just an act!) Second bad omen- the camper got picked up by its new owners just the day before. This was a 2013 model, the only one they had left, hence the reason it was in our price range.

So, that was a huge disappointment for us... heartbreaking, even. That loss, coupled with some other ups and downs, really had us questioning what we were doing. Is this really in God's plan for us, or is this whole thing some crazy idea we've concocted in our heads?? After some thought, we decided to pull up our big girl panties and try again. There were two more of the same RVs about the same distance away. We called, and they were willing to match the other dealer's price.

We drove down yesterday to apply for financing and hopefully, buy this one. We talked before we left, and again on the way down there, and again when we were waiting for the salesman to tell us if we were approved. We both really thought that, if it was meant to be, it would happen, and if it didn't happen, it wasn't meant to be. Really, we both thought something would happen and the whole deal would fall through. After 5 hours of paperwork (who knew it took so long to buy an RV? I'd hate to imagine how long it would be if we had to pick out a camper as well.), we are the proud owners of a new camper! It still doesn't seem real- maybe that will happen when we pick it up on Thursday!

We started out camping in a 1978 Layton 16 footer with no space whatsoever. Funny thing was, we camped happily for the entire summer on the outskirts of New 'Awlins, after Hurricane Katrina, while Brian was doing electrical work, with a four year old and a five year old, and LOVED it! After a tornado took the roof off, and we had more water inside the camper than outside, we moved into a 31 foot Jayco. It was perfect for us for years.... really, until we started fulltiming. Then it started mysteriously shrinking as our kids grew. We won't know how to act in a camper with slides and an actual bedroom for the kiddos!

Thank you, Lord...

Reflections on 663 days of full time RVing...

2014-01-22T17:19:00.000-05:00

Today marks Day 663 of full-time RVing! All within a 60 mile radius. At this point, I wonder- is our dream doable? I wish I had something exciting to say, reports of all the cool places we've traveled or adventures we've had. I so enjoy reading other fulltime families' blogs and living vicariously through all the places we dream of taking our family. That, more than anything else, has kept me from posting. Honestly, our absence from our campsite here on the web has been a time of reflection, ups and downs, changes in plans, and questioning if this is what we were meant to do. More than once in the past few months, we've asked ourselves, "Are we crazy?", knowing the answer is probably YES!

So, here's a quick status update- We hosted at "our" park through September, with plans to spend the six months while our park is closed at another park. At the last minute, we realized that the park did not have internet access at our site (which we had been erroneously told it did) and had to cancel. When we went home, we discovered our house had been overrun with mold while we were gone. We decided to park our camper in my MIL's back yard for a while while the mold was being remediated. That was in mid-September. The mold is gone, and we are still here- living in a camper in my MIL's yard. Yep, I know- sounds bat crud crazy, right? We've loved being here with my MIL- it's been amazing, for all of us. The current plan is to get rid of the house, buy a new camper, and head back to the lake in February.

The past 652 days have been ~~great~~ phenomenal, and I wouldn't trade them for the "traditional" lifestyle. We've had many milestones this year- a wonderful summer camping/ hosting at the lake, roadschooled Madison into Beasley Camping Charter School, celebrated Hunter's 13th Birthday and our first Christmas totally in the camper (with a full-size tree, no less), visited every RV dealership in a 400 mile radius in search of the perfect camper.

Initially, when we felt led to embark on this whole crazy dream, it seemed like we were making a lot more progress toward hitting the road. It seems like our progress has stalled- we've been questioning whether this crazy dream is in God's plan for us. We sure hope it is. Over the summer, our business seemed to be expanding- for a few months, at least. We put the blog on the back burner to deal with growing our business.

Then things slowed down for the business. We were getting some press and media attention about our lifestyle and the dream. Then things slowed down for the blog- so, instead of working harder, we got overwhelmed and left it on the back burner. I know, not smart. So here is where we are- we still 100% want to continue full time RVing. We would love to hit the road, but are tethered by a sticks and bricks job. We're praying for some guidance- first of all, Is this indeed God's plan for us? Secondly, how (financially) do we make this happen? So, if you are prayer warriors, please consider praying those requests for us.

I've felt let to dust off the blog and try it again. So, expect to hear more from us! We've got some ideas about a non-profit organization related to camping families, as well as some new camping products and resources for roadschooling and homeschooling families. Are we sharing adventures and exploits from across this beautiful nation? Not yet. But maybe someday soon. Do we have plenty to say about the family camping lifestyle? You betcha!

Happy camping!

Camping Tip Tuesday- 10 Tips to Make Your Camping Trip Rock

2013-04-23T18:57:00.000-04:00

Howdy, folks, and welcome to Camping Tip Tuesday! (insert big cheesy grin and redneck accent here) How ya'll doin' today?

Let's talk about ways to make your life easier while camping. Shall we?

Camping Tip 1. First of all, SIMPLIFY. Let me say it again. SIMPLIFY. I know it's fun to bring everything including the kitchen sink (ha ha ha), because "We might need this". I know. Been there, done that, brought 32 pairs of flip flops camping. (Yes. I did. 32. And that doesn't include the sneakers, or water shoes, or slippers.)

And I'm not, by any stretch of the imagination, suggesting you come camping with a tent, sleeping bag, and a toothbrush. If that's your cup of tea, my hat's off to you! I like camping with all the comforts of home. But there are some times you can get a little too carried away. We're trying to get AWAY from home, remember??

You probably don't need 7 blankets per person (um, again, true story), unless you're camping in Alaska. And, even then, that's probably a bit excessive!

Camping Tip 2. Before you pack it, ask yourself- Is this making my life easier, or harder???

Camping Tip 3. Now, there are, in fact, some seemingly over the top items that are actually quite useful for camping.

A toaster oven. Okay, I know I just told you to simplify. Hear me out. During the summertime, using the big RV oven can seriously heat up a small camper. We store ours in the cabinet under the stove and just open the door to the compartment when the toaster oven is on.If you're tent camping, a toaster oven provides a way to cook other than the campfire.
Bird feeders. You know, the small kind you can hang from a branch. We enjoy so much watching the birds come eat. We try to identify them and imitate their calls using apps. Great fun, I tell you!
Over the door hangers with pockets. We use them to store all kinds of small items like jewelry, batteries, etc.

Camping Tip 4. Utilize every inch of available storage. Milk crates fit perfectly in the underbed storage area and help keep the area organized. We can actually find things under the bed now!

Camping Tip 5. Again, utilize every inch of storage space. Your RV may be different, but our RV has some great usable space above the window valence boxes. It's perfect for storing pill bottles, spices, paper towels, etc. (not during transit, of course).

Camping Tip 6. Always bring an Easy-Up (or whatever you call a canopy tent). Put it up above the picnic table. In case it rains, you've still got a place to sit around outside and play games, etc.

Camping Tip 7. Christmas lights make great campsite lights. You can hang them on the awning, wrap 'em around trees, etc. Icicle lights in particular are beautiful.

Camping Tip 8. Plan your meals before you go, and bring all ingredients, including special spices. Do any prep work you can beforehand. I find it freeing to look at my list and go, "It's Tuesday, we're having hot dogs" than to have to figure out what everyone wants for dinner and what I feel like cooking. Even fulltiming it, having a meal plan takes one thing off my plate, so to speak.

Camping Tip 9. Reservations, reservations, reservations. Many popular campgrounds will fill up, especially on weekends and holdiays. Check policies for your capground to see if they accept or need reservations. There's nothing worse than packing up all your stuff, being excited to camp, and finding out there's no room in the inn.

Camping Tip 10. Have fun! Plan some new, fun, family activities for your trip! Make Biscuits on a Stick or Smores in a Cone over the campfire. Grab some paper and make Sun Prints or hit the sidewalk for some Fizzy Sidewalk Chalk Paint. Better yet, play Sardines! No matter what, just have fun!

Family Fun Friday- Water Bottle Bubble Blower- Just right for Earth Day

2013-04-19T23:44:00.000-04:00

Looking for an Earth Day Craft? Trying to find a fun, family activity for your next camping trip that's also frugal, and uses recycled materials? Well, this fits the bill! Make a water bottle bubble blower!

You will need:
bubble solution
an empty water bottle
an old sock
scissors

Cut the bottom off an empty water bottle. Insert the cut off end into a sock (you may need to trim the scok first, depending on the size.) Remove the lid, dip the sock into the bubble solution, and blow!
Presto- magical bubble snakes!

The best thing about this craft is that pretty much anyone will have water bottles and socks while camping. When the kiddos get bored (HOW does that happen while kids are camping? I mean, seriously, they're outside! Sticks, mud, bugs, nature.... ), grab some dish soap if you don't have bubble solution, and blow away! (It's okay! Dish soap actually makes way more bubbles than regular bubble solution, and I know you've got that in your camping supplies!)

Happy bubble blowing!

Get a FREE you@wedratherbecamping.com email address!

2013-04-18T19:12:00.001-04:00

Okay, so we're probably a little too excited about having out own domain name! But, hey, small victories are babysteps in the right direction. Right??

Along with the new domain name, we have decided to offer our readers (that's YOU!) a free email address @wedratherbecamping.com

Yes, I know- you already have an email address. Who doesn't? I like to have a separate email address for signing up for coupons or free offers. Maybe this would work for you. I also like to have multiple email addresses in case a website is offering a good deal, limited to one per email address (Netflix free trials and cardstore.com free cards are favorites). Just a thought!

Is your name Bob? Bob Camper? Well, you can be bobcamper@wedratherbecamping.com!
Or, if you'd like, your new email address can be ilovecamping@wedratherbecamping.com.
And the best part (other than having the most awesome email address ever, that is) is that it's free!

If you're interested, you can click the box at the top right of the page to sign up and to check your email!

We'd Rather be Camping Bucket Light

2013-04-15T00:17:00.001-04:00

Yay! We've been working on establishing a business to fund the dream. We've come up with and trademarked several designs, and are excited to report we've made our first sale- a camping bucket light with our trademarked "We'd Rather Be Camping" slogan!

We've had a lot of interest in the past few days on purchasing these bucket lights, so we've opened a storefront to sell them.

Wondering what a camping bucket light is? Simply the coolest outdoor lighting there is! Our camping bucket lights are made of a 5 gallon bucket and bear our We'd Rather Be Camping slogan with either a tent, travel trailer, or RV. They are durable, waterproof, and unique- not the same old globe lights that you see at every campsite!

Check out our shop, and let us know what you think! Many more items in the "We'd Rather Be Camping" line are in the works!

377 Days in a Camper

2013-04-12T22:32:00.000-04:00

Wow! Today marks our 377th night in our camper! Almost exactly a year ago, Brian and I were taking a walk, talking about how camping had completely revitalized our family. Hesitatingly, I brought up an idea that had been plaguing me for days, one that I felt drawn toward. I'm pretty sure I probably said something like, "You're probably gonna think this is completely crazy, but...."

The crazy thing turned out to be when Brian told me he'd been thinking about the same thing for several days. We both felt it was placed upon our hearts- this huge tug to do this crazy, completely nontraditional, people are gonna think we've lost our marbles, thing- pack up and hit the road in our camper, living full-time in an RV and traveling the US with our babies before they get too old. And thus The Dream was born.

It's been a crazy, chaotic, sort of downer of a time lately. We've felt stalled, stuck, like we're getting nowhere with our dream. We've been questioning ourselves-
"Is this really doable? Can we live full time in a camper?"
"Will this ever work out for us?"
"Is this really what God wants us to do?"
"What can we do to help us hit the road?"
"Does anyone read the blog? Do they care if we post or not?"
"What can we do to engage more of our audience?"
"Are we crazy?" (Dear readers, do you ever feel this way???)

Sometimes it's so easy to look at how much farther you have to go, rather than turning around to see how far you've come. I guess it's the glass half empty kind of thing. Tonight, instead of staring ahead into that seemingly insurmountable abyss that represents our dream and how far away from it we are, we turned around.

We looked behind us to see how far we've come in those 377 days since we last slept in our sticks and bricks home. And, wow! We've come a long way, baby! In 377 days, we've....

Sucessfully roadschooled one child, and will be adding the second to our own BCCS (Beasley Camping Charter School)
Secured two campground hosting positions, each for 1/2 of the year.
Started this blog
Started a Facebook Page
Started a Pinterest Page
Been featured in an advertising campaign on Jayco's Facebook Page about camping memories
Been contacted by a producer of a new television show about potentially appearing on TV
Been featured in a local newspaper article about our campground
Been interviewed for an upcoming article about roadschooling in Cobblestone Magazine
Happily lived together in a 31 by 8 foot camper and adapted to thriving in such a small spacce
Met dozens of new friends in the campground
Started writing an ebook on family camping activities
Adopted a completely different lifestyle- one that's certainly not for everyone- but that feels right for us

Have we achieved our dream yet? No. We're still working on the sponsorship or money-making on the road details that will allow us to pull up roots and travel the US with our kiddos. Are we a whole lot closer? You betcha!

Camping has made us Famous!

2013-03-23T19:23:00.000-04:00

Well, almost!

We're currently featured on Jayco RV's Facebook page as part of their Memories that Matter advertising campaign! Yay! National exposure! Check it out here!

Look! That's my photo and my daughter on Jayco's facebook page!

There are a few inaccuracies that I tried to correct in my comments, but that's okay.... (I do have a dear husband named Brian who, for some reason, is not mentioned at all. Bless his heart! {Love you babe!} We have a travel trailer, not a 5th wheel {boy, do I wish- that would equal more room!}And we spend six months camping, not just weekends. {If we can find a hosting job for the other six months, we'd do it full-time.} But all in all, it's a nice article!)

We've also been speaking to a TV producer for Bravo about possibly being on a new reality show highlighting different parenting styles. I'm not sure if we're TV material, but it sure is exciting to be considered! Look out Hollywood, here come the Beasleys!

We're being featured in an upcoming Cobblestone Magazine feature on Roadschooling, and we also have an article coming up next week in our local newspaper.

It's nice to get a little attention. Sometimes I feel like I'm writing to myself!

How Much Stuff Can Fit in a 31 by 8 Foot Jayco Travel Trailer??

2013-02-16T12:12:00.001-05:00

Warning: Messiness ahead! If you are a neat freak (I so wish I was), please stop reading. What you are about to see is likely to offend you.

Still with me? OK. Don't say I needn't warn you! Now, please understand. We're not messy people, per se. We're not dirty, nasty folks. We keep a clean camper. But we seem to accumulate a lot of stuff.

We're starting our new hosting gig in 13 days-YAY! Remember, we've been full-time RV-ing in the front yard for about 5 months now. And we've been in the camper for 11 months straight! We decided it was time to take everything out of our Jayco, clean it top to bottom, and then reevaluate what we really need to put back in the camper. Everything needs a good overhaul in the organization department. We have two desktop computers for roadschooling we need to incorporate somewhere, and a billion other things we need.

So, we have literally taken everything out of the camper that wasn't nailed down. It took.... are you ready for this?....
70 trips (between all four of us)

Yes, you read that right. Seventy loads of stuff.

This is embarrassing.... but have a look... Don't worry, we will organize it. But for now, we just wanted it out!

The "junk drawer". Jayco owners' manuals, 22 candles, an air horn...

Yes, you see a spice rack and 38 plastic bags.

Food- that's OK, right???

17 notebooks, umpteen cable wires, ....

Enough play dough to stock a daycare, bubbles, ice cream churns (yes, two!)

Everybody needs a giant TV box and straws in their camper, right?

Literally 28 blankets for four people

A two foot tall bag of toiletries

Enough clothes for an entire daycare

18 pillows

Hey, this one is a must have....our 4 inch memory foam mattress topper!

75 plus DVDs.

Some of the stuff I can't believe was even in there.

Why??

Melted Crayon Heart Valentines Free Printables

2013-02-13T21:02:00.001-05:00

Melted Heart Crayons

Free Printable Valentines

We love making things out of melted crayons around here. There's just something nifty about turning old, broken, stubby, no good crayons into a new swirly looking masterpiece!

Got broken junky old crayons? Great. Then you've got the makings of some awesome, one of a kind Valentines that are way cooler than the boxed kind you buy at Walmart!

Making these Valentines is simple and fun. You will need:
old crayons
a silicone heart shaped pan (it's only going to be good for making crayons from now on, so be forewarned)
an old cookie sheet or metal pan (ditto)
glitter (optional)

Step 1: Use an exacto knife to slit the wrappers of the crayons.

Step 2: Peel the labels off the crayons.

Step 3: Break the crayons into small pieces.
Step 4: Fill your heart molds with crayons.

Step 5: Put silicon pan on baking sheet.
Step 6: Bake at 250 in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until melted.
Step 7: Add more crayon bits and some glitter.
Step 8: Bake another 5-10 minutes, or until melted.
Step 9: Remove from the oven and let cool.
Step 10: Pop hearts out of mold.

Step 11: Use double sided tape to affix crayons to these printable Valentines. There are four different designs. (Don't worry; I took off Madison's name so your sweeties can write their own!)

Science Saturday: Magic Inflating Balloon

2013-02-09T22:22:00.004-05:00

Welcome back to Science Saturday! We've got a great science activity to share with you today- the magic inflating balloon! The great thing about this science demonstration is it's easy, frugal, and only requires materials that most everybody has on hand at their home or camper! Oh, and then there's the major WOW factor, too! That's pretty nice also!

We've been studying states of matter and chemical and physical changes in our roadschooling lessons. This experiment fits the bill for both topics. Not only is it an opportunity to explore changes in the state of matter and view a real, live chemical reaction, but it's also an amazing thing to see! We've used this demonstration in classrooms as part of a Science Fun Day, at a Mad Scientist birthday party, and around the campsite just for funsies!

Before you read any farther, we must make you aware of our disclaimer.

DISCLAIMER: If you perform this experiment at your campsite, or other science activities like the Floating S Skittles, Ice Cube Sailboats, Glue Hands, or Fizzy Sidewalk Chalk Paint, be prepared for all the kiddos in the campground to flock to your campsite. As long as you don't mind your campsite being "the" place to be for all the campground kids (we don't), proceed at your own risk!

To make a ballon magically inflate, you will need: an empty water or soda bottle, vinegar, baking soda, a funnel, and a balloon.

For a 20 oz. bottle, pour about 1/2 cup vinegar into your bottle. (Don't use the funnel for this! If you do, wash and completely dry it before proceeding.) If your bottle is bigger or smaller, you may have to adjust amounts a little. Experiment- it's science!
Insert the funnel into the balloon.
Pour about 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons baking soda into the funnel.
Remove the funnel and shake all the baking soda down into the bottom of the balloon.
Stretch the neck of the balloon over the mouth of the bottle.
Hold onto the end of the balloon to keep the baking soda from falling into the bottle until you are ready.
Lift the balloon up and let the baking soda fall into the bottle.
Step back, and watch the magic!

The kids were so amazed, we had to do it again!

Family Fun Friday- Pictionary and Hot Steaming Bread

2013-02-08T22:46:00.002-05:00

Well, you've heard about our Family Fun Friday Grilled Pizzas, but you haven't heard about how we spent the rest of the evening having fun as a family. It was a rather impromptu suggestion by the kiddos that turned into hours of the most fun I've had in a while. And also, I'm afraid, has given my dear family something to tease me about for months!

We are fans of The Big Bang Theory show. I'm pretty sure that's where the kiddos came up with the idea of Pictionary. Rather than making up ideas to draw (we were afraid they might get a little too "out there"), we found a great website called The Game Gal that has printable lists of words for Pictionary, charades, etc. She's got a lot of other great games as well. I can't wait to spend some more time on her site for some more Family Fun Friday ideas!

Honestly, we weren't expecting Pictionary to be as much fun as it was. It was one of those, "Ok, we'll play a few rounds." kinda things. Boy, were we wrong! My stomach still hurts from all the laughing!

We played Adults vs Kids. I thought us adults would have an unfair advantage. Ahem. Not so much. So, um, I got bread. Figured that right out. And an oven. Got that. Brian even took pity on me and talked, which is kinda against the rules. "It goes in the oven as bread. It comes out as?"

What's your answer?? It goes in the oven as bread and comes out as_____________.
My answer: "Hot steaming bread"

The correct answer: Toast. Of course! Toast! Bread plus oven = toast. You put bread in the oven, it gets toasted. Hanging my head in shame.

So, for the rest of the night, everyone's first guess? "Hot steaming bread"
I will never live this one down. It will be like the Candied Chicken recipe I tried like a bazillion years ago and STILL get teased about. I will be an old lady on my deathbed hearing "hot steaming bread" and "candied chicken".

Here's a picture for you. Can you figure it out?

Cow plus ahem, boy. Get it??? Adolescent boys are something else, I tell you!

Anyway, disturbing images aside, if you are looking for a free Family Fun Friday game, try Pictionary! Laughs guaranteed! With a little preparation, Pictionary would make an awesome camping game as well.
Carry a small dry erase board in your camper (we have one hanging on the wall in the living room), print out the word list before you leave, or make them up as you go.

What are some classic games you like to play with your family?

Family Fun Friday: Easy, Quick, and Delicious Mini Grilled Pizzas

2013-02-08T22:10:00.001-05:00

Grilled Pizzas- under $3 and under 30 minutes

Hey there folks! Welcome back to Family Fun Friday! We actually have two family fun activities to share tonight. The start to our evening was a favorite Friday evening tradition around here- Grilled Pizza. We also played a hilariously entertaining game, but I'll have to share that in the next post!

Wait a minute... you've never had grilled pizza??? You are seriously missing out on some major yumminess! And on a camping trip... OMG. The nature makes it taste even better!

Before I share the secret to grilled pizza with you, repeat after me: "Pizza doesn't have to be round. Pizza doesn't have to be round." These may not be the most attractive pizzas in the world. I probably won't make the cover of Food Magazine. But that's okay. These babies are awesome! What they lack in appearance, they make up for in taste- smoky, cheesy, herbed deliciousness.

To make pizza, of course you need dough. You can use whatever recipe you like, canned pizza dough, or even biscuits in a pinch. Here is my recipe for pizza dough. You can also use it for dinner rolls, breadsticks, etc.

Mix 1 T yeast in 1 C hot water. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Add 2 T vegetable oil, 2.5 C flour, 1 t sugar, 1 t salt, 1-3 T of Italian Seasoning or oregano, 1 t garlic powder and 1 t onion powder. Of course, the spices are optional. You can vary according to your taste and your toppings. Our personal opinion is the spices MAKE the dough. Knead dough until it's smooth. The awesome thing about this dough is that it doesn't have to rise. Mix, knead, and go- 5 minutes!

Divide the dough into 6-8 portions and press/roll out dough onto an oiled pizza pan. Brush oil on top of the pizza dough. For grilled pizza, it's so much easier to make individual mini pizzas instead of trying to flip a large one on the grill. That also allows everyone to personalize their toppings.

Have everything ready to go before you put the dough on the grill. These pizzas cook pretty quickly.

Preheat your grill. Once grill is hot, place pizzas onto the grill, oil side down. Direct heat is fine, unless you notice your pizza is burning. Close the grill and let the dough cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the bottom is browned, crispy, and has grill marks. When the dough is cooked on the bottom, flip the pizzas over. Add your pizza sauce, toppings, and cheese. Close the grill again and allow the pizzas to cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and gooey. If your crust is burning before the cheese is melted, move the pizzas to an upper rack or an indirect heat area.

I will warn you- plan to eat outside, standing beside the grill. We have NEVER made it to the table with these grilled pizzas (at least the first batch. This dough recipe makes seven or eight 4-6" pizzas.)

So, how, you ask, is this Family Fun Friday? Well, making Grilled Pizzas is a family affair! The kiddos beg to make them. One kid measures, mixes, and kneads the dough while the other kid browns the sausage, gathers the toppings, etc. Everybody helps put the pizzas and toppings on the grill. And everybody stands by the grill and salivates as they cook.

Know what? Not only does grilled pizza rock, but it costs less and cooks in the same amount of time (or less) as a frozen pizza. Tastes a million times better, too! From start to finish, you can make this grilled pizza in under 30 minutes. By my calculations, it cost maybe 75 cents for the dough, 75 cents for the cheese (1/2 a bag of shredded cheese), 33 cents for the spaghetti sauce (1/3 jar), and 44 cents for the sausage (1/2 lb.). Grand total: $2.27. You can't even buy a generic frozen pizza for that!

Our Family Fun Friday Grilled Pizzas were a hit, quick, and frugal. Under $3, under 30 minutes, family fun, and yummy to boot! This should be your next camping meal. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Camping Tip Tuesday: 8 ways to make your next camping trip a success

2013-02-05T20:16:00.001-05:00

Camping Trip Tuesday: 8 Tips for Getting Rid of Bugs, Leveling your RV, and Battling the Elements While Camping

Welcome to week 2 of Camping Tip Tuesday at Life is Great in a 31 by 8!
Stay tuned for some great camping tips and tricks to make your next camping vacay more of a vacation and less of a headache!

First of all, let's talk leveling. RV campers, you know what a headache getting your rig leveled can be! This ranks just behind dumping the black water tank as one of the drawbacks of RV-ing. Well, maybe not just behind...
Our first two tips will help make leveling your camper easier:

1. Save scrap lumber around the house (or camper) from projects. Use blocks of wood or pieces of plywood to place under your scissor jacks before you lower them. The farther you have to run your jacks down, the more wobbly your camper will be. Ergo, the less you have to run your jacks down, the sturdier your RV will be!

2. Take a close look at the level of your campsite before you set up your RV. If one side of the RV is lower than the other, don't try to jack your camper way up (see tip above!). Grab one or two 2 x 6 or larger boards, (depending on how out of level your site is), cut the ends off at an angle to make a small ramp, and lay them in position. Drive your RV up onto these boards. Bam! Instant leveling without the instability of jacks!

3. Speaking of jacks, weather is another major headache of camping. (Yes, I know, from jacks to weather. I'm getting there, I promise. Follow the rabbit trail for a minute!) If you are tent camping and are worried about rain flooding out your campsite, a little preparation will save your trip! Check with a local store or newspaper and get some shipping pallets. Most of the time, companies will give them away for free. The size of your tent will determine how many pallets you need- four or six will probably be sufficient for most tents. Arrange the pallets on your campsite in the location you plan to set up your tent. Lay a tarp over the pallets, then set up your tent on top. Voila! Your tent is jacked up and out of the water, with zero cost and little headache! You can also set an extra pallet or two in front of your tent for a "porch" to wipe off your feet or leave shoes.

4. Camping in any sort of extreme weather can be quite difficult. But don't let the cold zap all the fun out of your camping trip! If you find yourself tent camping in frigid temperatures, the following trick will cut the wind and insulate your tent. Remove your tent's rain cover. Drape a tarp over your entire tent, then replace the rain cover. The extra layer of insulation will protect you from the wind and keep the temperature inside your tent a little warmer. The rain cover will secure the tarp to your tent with no need to stake the tarp down.

Another downside of camping is the bugs! I know it's nature, and some experiences with little biting pests are to be expected! But, sometimes, those little buggers are eating you alive... and a camper's gotta do what a camper's gotta do! Next time the bugs are making you buggy, try these four tips:

5. Throw some dried sage or rosemary into your campfire. Both will repel mosquitoes, at least in the immediate proximity of your fire. Generally, if we have a campfire, we are all out sitting around it. So this works for us!

6. Don't want to sit around the campfire all day just to avoid mosquitoes? Make your own bug spray by putting Listerine Mouthwash in a spray bottle, 50% water to 50% mouthwash. You can spray it on people (the smell will go away in about 10 minutes, I promise!) or spray it around your campsite. Bye bye buggies!

7. Want to also repel ticks? I know they are bad in my neck of the woods. Add some tea tree oil (only a few drops) to your listerine mix. No skeeters, and no ticks!

8. Want to smell good and still repel bugs? Grab a box of cheap dryer sheets! You can either just keep a dryer sheet in your pocket or rub it on your clothes. (Not sure if I'd do skin, especially sensitive skin!) Something in the dryer sheet bugs the bugs.

Road Schooling Sunday: 10+ Ways Football Can Be Educational

2013-02-03T21:28:00.002-05:00

Free Educational Football Themed Games and Activities:

Using football to teach

Welcome back to another edition of Road Schoolin' Sunday at Life is Great in a 31 by 8! Since today is Superbowl Sunday, we'd like to share with you some ways to make learning appeal more to your child's interest. Anytime I mention the word football, my son's ears perk up! That boy is all about some football!

1. First of all, if you're watching the big game, try asking your child how many more touchdowns, field goals, or combinations will allow the losing team to pull ahead. They'll have no idea they are practicing algebra and critical thinking! (Evil grin here!) And I'm willing to bet the child who claims "it's too hard" on paper can solve the problem in a flash if it's about a topic he cares about. I know that's true for us! If your kiddos are not into football, or, well, football season is ending today, try this with another sport. Next time you give your kiddos math problems to complete, turn them into sports- themed questions. Kids always learn better when they consider the learning to be relevant to their life personally or something they are interested in. Got a dinosaur fan? Make dino problems! Roadschooling? Make camping themed problems. Better yet, give them real life problems to solve, like how long until we need another fill up? How much did our gas cost per mile?

We know that memorization and practice of addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division facts can be BO-RING! But, unfortunately, fact fluency is important. No one wants their child to be the adult standing in Walmart or Camping World counting on his or her fingers! We have just the solution to encourage your child to practice fact fluency- and love it!

2. Tackle Math Ball uses real NFL teams to preactice all basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division). It's fast paced and fun! After you answer a question correctly, you advance down the field. Best of all, you can play online or on a tablet. (We've run into a lot of great games that won't work on our iPad, unfortunately. While roadschooling, we find the iPad to be an awesome educational tool. ) MrNussbaum has a lot of great educational games!

3. Funbrain Power Football allows your child to practice decimal addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, or a mixture of all of the operations. You can set the level of difficulty to meet your child's needs. I find that decimals are one of those areas that my children will argue, "Why do I need to do this?"
Sometimes, explaining that they need to know how to add and subtract money, as well as multiply decimals to determine discounts isn't "cool" enough. Give them something that looks game-y and sporty- the arguments cease!

4. Hold onto your seats, sports fans! The NFL Outreach program offers printable teacher activity guides for each NFL team. These lessons cover grammar, reading, math, science, social studies, visual arts, and even PE. Wow! Go here to select your favorite team.
There are great variations in the guides' content and length. Here is 185 pages worth of Cincinnati Bengals themed football lessons, whereas here is only 33 pages of Atlanta Falcons activities.

5. Something we found pretty interesting for older kids (probably about 10- 18) is Visa's Financial Football game. This game uses real NFL teams and features very realistic football gameplay. You choose your strategy for each play, much like Madden or NCAA Football for XBox. Each play, you are asked a financial question, like "What is an example of discretionary spending?" Hunter really enjoyed playing it, almost as much as his "real" football games.

6. Integer Football practices moving along a number line. Your football player advances forward or backward along a number line with both positive and negative numbers depending on a loss or gain of yardage. A great visual way to work on addition of positive and negative numbers. Roadschool friendly, too, since it's internet-based!

7. For younger football fans (I haven't forgotten about you!) PBS Between the Lions has a really cute game called Blending Bowl. It has really cute animations of different parts of a word family blending together to form words. Great way to practice blending, decoding, and word families!

8. Need to practice geography skills? Print out all the NFL logos (or the college team logos if your kiddo's more of a college fan like mine) and challenge your child to place them on a large wall map or smaller printable map in the correct state. When they're done, have them write all the team names in alphabetical order. While you're at it, have students categorize the mascots (perhaps birds, other animals, and non-animals) and create a bar graph with their findings. That's what we call interdisciplinary learning!

9. Got a newspaper handy? Wait, of course you do... you're reading me on it! Click here and grab 41 printable worksheets utilizing newspapers and football to reinforce math, language arts, science, and social studies skills.

10. Looking for a project? Have your football fanatic research a team, or the city where the big game will be held. Have them create a brochure, powerpoint, website, blog post, video commerical, or whatever else floats their boat. Incorporate topics you've been working on in homeschool or roadschool.

11. And, finally, if you're looking for free printable activities, check out Teachers Pay Teachers. You have to create a free account, but there are 117 free football themed learning activities for download here.

Well, football fans, it's the 4th quarter, and time has run out on the clock! Hope you've found some great football themed educational activities you can use in your roadschooling, homeschooling, or in your classroom. Come back next week for Roadschooling Sunday!

Science Saturday: Density Layered Liquids

2013-02-02T21:03:00.001-05:00

Welcome back to the 2nd edition of Science Saturday! We're pleased to share with you another fun, frugal, and kid-friendly science experiment.

Hunter has been learning about density in Science, so Dad devised this cool experiment to illustrate the different densities of household liquids. It's loosely based on the oil and water experiment that you probably did when you were a kid, and also on a 7 layer density tower from Steve Spangler Science. (BTW, if you've never checked out Steve Spangler, you are missing out! That's our go-to site for fun science experiments and explanations.)

We used 4 ounces each of the following liquids: water, vegetable oil, rubbing alcohol, and Purell hand sanitizer (or "sand hanitizer" as Madison calls it!). We colored each of the liquids with a different color food coloring. In retrospect, I wish we'd have used less food coloring, like only a drop or two per color.

We started by pouring the colored water into a glass jar. Rubbing alcohol has a lower density than water, so it should theoretically float on top. I say theoretically because what really happened was we poured a little too quickly, and the water and alcohol mixed. So did the two colors, producing a rather murky look. But, hey, science is about experimentation and learning why things happen! It's not a failure; it's a learning experience! (You know, that's one thing I love about science- it's about the process, not necessarily the product.)

After doing a little reading, we decided that one of our tips for this experiment would be to pour SLOWLY, using a funnel. We also decided that we should have poured water, then vegetable oil, THEN alcohol. The water and alcohol really needed a buffer in between them. And, remember, only a little food coloring!

We topped our alcohol off with a layer of vegetable oil, then a layer of "sand hanitizer". It was really cool to see the less dense oil floating on top of the water, then the hand sanitizer, which appeared to be very dense, lay on top of the oil. The hand sanitzer formed a convex layer, which was very interesting to see. Since most of our alcohol was now mixed with the water at the bottom, we decided to add another layer of alcohol. We were very curious to see whether it would be more or less dense than the Purell, which is mostly alcohol anyway. The rubbing alcohol was, surprisingly, more dense than the hand sanitizer- it floated right on through it! Alcohol is less dense than oil, however.

After examining our layers, (in order of density from most dense to least dense was water, oil, rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer) and discussing our results and how to improve the experiment next time (see notes above), we decided we simply had to shake it up!

Again, too much food coloring, so the mixed up version looked like what happens when you try to mix all the colors of Easter Egg Dye and wind up with brown eggs! But, after sitting for a while, the liquids still retain their original densities and will separate back out into layers.

You can try this density experiment with whatever liquids you have in the kitchen or camper. Milk, dish soap, laundry soap, honey, syrup, salt water, or whatever else you can imagine! Remember, Science Saturdays are about family fun, experimentation, and learning!

Family Fun Friday- Blast From the Past Family Night

2013-02-01T21:25:00.001-05:00

Well, here it is- the day you've all been waiting for! Today is the last day of our introduction of new features here at Life is Great in a 31 by 8. We're excited to bring you... Family Fun Fridays!

Before I share tonight's Family Fun Friday activity, you have to promise not to laugh, okay? Yonder follows a rather embarrassing picture of me. Hey, I'll do anything for my family's fun!

At Family Fun Friday, we'll be sharing fun, easy ways to spend some QT with your family. We'll bring you game ideas, cool things to do together, activities to do together with the whole family, pretty much anything that falls under the topic of family togetherness, ways to spend more time with your family, ways to make family time more fun, or things that bring families closer together.

Tonight's Family Fun Friday requires a little preparation, but it's well worth it! Pick a time period... hubby and I are both children of the 80's, so we chose the 80's. Help everyone develop a costume out of clothes and accessories you already have. By the way, these costumes may come in handy if your school, church, etc. has a Dance through the Decades, Sock Hop, Blast from the Past, or anything like that. Or, hey, Halloween!

Madison and I used puff paint to decorate two of Brian's old t-shirts with sayings like "Like, totally", "Radical", "Valley Girl", etc. and cut the neckline so it would hang off our shoulders. We found plenty of play jewelry that worked perfectly, used existing skirts/jeans/socks/tanks for a layered look, and cut a pair of long socks into legwarmers. It was hilarious to hear, "Mom, did you really wear this? Are you sure it's supposed to look like this?" (I'm ashamed to admit that, yes, I did indeed look that goofy.) I got out the curling iron and lots of hairspray and recreated some awesome 80's big hair and sidewards ponytail. Oh, and lots of blue eyeshadow (Embarrassing to admit I had this on hand). None of it cost a penny, and was a lot of fun to get together!

The boys, on the other hand, had 80's outfits much easier than we did. They layered pastel polo shirts, flipped up the collar (WHY is this back in style? I keep trying to flip kids' collars down, till they correct me and tell me it's supposed to be like that!), brushed back their hair, and wore some authentic 1980's Ray- Bans.

We had a little fashion show of our ensembles, to the tune of some 80's music (Hey, Mickey, you're so fine!), then cranked up the tunes and danced. We all had a blast! Cost- nothing. Prep time- a little, but it was fun. Memories- Priceless!

You could also end the evening watching some movies from your decade. Youtube is a great place to find commercials and TV shows from the past also.

What other ideas do you have for a "Blast from the Past" family night?

Travelin' Thursday

2013-01-31T19:34:00.001-05:00

We're almost finished introducing our week of new features here at Life is Great in a 31 by 8. Today's feature is Travelin' Thursday. On Travelin' Thursday, we'll highlight locations across the United States that we plan on traveling to. Don't expect a lot of Disney, Lego Land, Busch Gardens kind of attractions. We're focusing on the attractions that showcase the wonders of creation, the natural places that we want our children to see, part of the reason we have "The Dream" in the first place. Join us every week to learn a little about some off-the-beaten-path wonders of nature, as well as some more well-known.

This week, in no particular order (i.e., this is not a leg of our journey!), we share:
(images are clockwise from top left)

Jacob's Well in Wimberly, Texas- This is one of the largest underwater caves in Texas with an artesian spring. Looks like a great swimming hole!
Lake Powell in Utah and Arizona is an enormous (almost 200 miles in length) reservoir. It boasts some amazing geological formations, including the Rainbow Bridge, the largest natural bridge in the world (that's higher than the Capitol and almost as long as a football field- wow!). You know that we're lake people, so this is right up our alley!
Watkins Glen State Park in Watkins Glen, New York has 19 waterfalls in the park! There is a gorge, and it's located on the Finger Lakes.
Zion National Park, again in Utah, has more of Nature's beauty! There are intricate 2000 foot sandstone cliffs, literally dozens of canyons, gorges like The Narrows and geological wonders like The Subway.
Green Fly Geyser in Gerlach, Nevada is a man-made, accidentally formed, still growing geyser. It is on private property, so not technically a tourist attractions, but I've been told tours may be arranged, for a price.

And that's all for this week of Travelin' Thursday. Where are you traveling? What are your top travel destinations?

What We're Webbing Wednesday: Nature Valentines

2013-01-30T17:15:00.000-05:00

Welcome to day 5 of our new features! Introducing...

At What We're Webbing Wednesday, we'll share websites we've enjoyed over the past week.

Nature.org has some fantastic free printable nature Valentines.... perfect Valentines for campers and nature lovers alike! You can also send Valentine nature e-cards!

Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas has an awesome idea for tie-dye hearts... and it's also easy and frugal!

Living Montessori Now has some tips on how to make Valentine's Day in your homeschool or roadschool class special.

National Wildlife Federation has some nature-friendly Valentine's ideas.

Here are some really neat images of hearts found in nature. (Are you sensing a theme here?)

Speaking of amazing images, Dad has discovered this website called Fancy. It seems a little like Pinterest in that you can "fancy" images that you like onto your own page. (He hasn't quite gotten on the Pinterest bandwagon yet!) Michelle has some amazing images fancied... everything from nature, fashion (now what he was interested in), parenting ideas, etc. But mostly just spectacular nature photos!
(Speaking of Pinterest, are you following us yet? If not, please hop on over and follow us!)

And that's What We're Webbing this week!
What are you webbing?

Camping Tip Tuesday

2013-01-29T19:06:00.002-05:00

Today is day 4 of our new blog features. Introducing... Camping Tip Tuesday!

On Camping Tip Tuesday, we aim to provide you with short nuggets of information that you can use on your next camping trip. Plain and simple tips to make your camping trip easier. We've included tips for all types of campers, from tents to RVs- so hopefully you will find some tips to use the next time you camp!

Such as...

Empty spice bottles make great containers for q-tips (Hey, you may not consider them a camping necessity, but I do!) or matches (glue sandpaper to the outside for striking the matches.
Always, always, include a small travel kit of pain reliever, antacids, allergy medicine, tweezers, and first aid items.
Use wet dryer sheets to clean bugs off your RV or camper.
Extra batteries for everything... flashlights, lanterns, etc.
Pick up several packs of glow sticks at the dollar store. You can get 10 of the bracelets for $1, snap them on the kiddos, and always know where they are at night. Plus they're tons of fun to play with too- glow stick hunts (think Easter Egg hunts, with glow sticks), ring toss, dive into the water and find them, open them and pour into bubbles...
We store latex/ nitrile gloves and a small bottle of hand sanitizer in our bumper with the sewer hose for use after the dump station.
Bring a rope to tie between trees to hang wet clothes and towels.
Baby wipes have 101 uses while camping. So do duct tape, ratchet straps, bungee cords, and clamps.
Make fire starters before your trip with dryer lint in an egg carton. Pour melted wax on top, and you have 12 fire starters.
Some people invest in fancy and expensive camping lights, particularly for RV awnings. I just can't bring myself to do it, when we have a much more frugal, and still beautiful solution... Christmas Icicle Lights.
When RV camping, always make a final check before pulling off... Awning Latched? Antenna down? Wheel chocks removed? Water hose unhooked? Electricity disconnected?
If you're low on space, use a 7 day pill organizer to fill with small amounts of your favorite spices.
For RV campers, or those who will have electricity hookups, bring extension cords and a fan, particularly in the summertime.
Extra TP. More than you think you need. Trust me.
If you are camping in an RV that you use frequently, invest $50-$100 into a memory foam (generic) mattress pad. It will transform that cheap camper mattress!
Sprinkle Comet around your campsite where your RV tires or jacks touch the ground to prevent ants from crawling up and entering your camper. I'm sure this would probably work for tents as well.
Place a clamp, chip clip, binder clip, or similar on your RV antenna crank while it's up. The clip will serve as a reminder to let the antenna down when breaking camp.
Check the weather forecast before you go. Pack accordingly. Always have an extra tarp and rain gear for unexpected showers.
Make a list before you go. Check said list. Commonly forgotten items are bikes, scooters, floats, sand toys, flippers, toiletries, dish soap, trash bags.
Check out the campground on the internet if possible before your trip. If you will have a choice of sites, have a list of a few that you like. Be aware of rules and regulations, like a locked gate, pet restrictions, quiet hours, restrictions on adult beverages, etc.

What tips do you have to make camping easier? Check back next week for another installment of Camping Tip Tuesday!

RV Maintenance Monday: DIY Frugal Floor Duct Vent Covers and Stove Top Cover

2013-01-28T21:13:00.000-05:00

Maintenance Monday: DIY RV (or mobile home) floor vent covers and Stove top covers

Today is Day 3 of our new features! Today, we bring you RV Maintenance Monday!

At RV Maintenance Monday, we'll share how tos and DIY activities for keeping your RV or camper in tip-top condition. We'll feature tutorials for basic maintenance tasks like winterizing your RV or defrosting your RV refrigerator, as well as tips and tricks to make your home on wheels more livable.

Livability is a big part of RV life. That's one reason we are so happy with our Jayco Eagle. It is truly livable! But we've made some modifications along the way to increase the livability of our space. We'd like to share two of those with you today.

One big headache of RVs, or mobile home trailers, or even some brick and mortar homes is the floor vents. I don't know about your house, but in my house on wheels, you can look inside the floor vents at any given time and see cereal, hair bands, crayons, jewelry, and assorted crud inside the floor vents. Not only is it disgusting to look at, but there's always an inevitable earring or other important item that must be had right. this. minute. when we are running out the door. Plus those vents are just gross... in my RV anyways!

From nasty...

to neat!

So here's your 5 minute, 5 cents fix:
You will need a white bath pouf/scrunchie (Color really doesn't matter, but white is less noticeable).
You can do like I did, and use a used scrunchie for free, or you can buy one for $1. Your RV vents, your choice!

Cut the center rope that holds the bath pouf together. You will be left with a tube of netting. Leave it in tube form, so it's doubled over already. Cut a length of netting long enough to cover your vent, with plenty of extra. Remove the screws holding down the vent cover (they usually are square headed screws) and lift up the vent cover. Spread the netting over the vent cover, and set the vent over back on top of the netting. Replace the screws. Use a pair of scissors, opened, like you are using an exacto knife or cutting paper, ran along the edges of the vent cover to cut off the excess netting.

Presto! DIV 5 Minute 5 Cent Vent Covers! The netting is so thin, it will not impede the flow of air in your RV heater or AC.

Our second RV maintenance project is just as cheap and easy! You will need white contact paper or shelf paper. I guess you could get crazy with the Cheese Whiz and do patterns or other colors if you desire.

From Nasty...

To Nice!

When we purchased our RV, the previous owners had let the stove top cover develop a little rust. It annoyed me to look at it, so I devised another 5 cent, 5 minute RV maintenance task!
You simply cut contact paper to fit the size of your stove top cover. You will want to measure each of the pieces separately, so it can still fold up. Stick the contact paper on the stove cover, being sure to press out any air bubbles. You will want to trim the edges and wrap around the sides for maximum attractiveness. I looked at replacing the RV stove top cover, and they run about $60 at Camping World. A couple pieces of contact paper... almost nothing! Hmm, you do the math! I think my DIY stove top cover looks just as nice- you can't even tell it's not original!

Well, that wraps up RV Maintenance Monday! DIY Floor Vent Covers and RV Stove Top Cover, both for 5 minutes and 5 cents!

Road Schooling Sunday: 5 Educational Ideas for Learning While Camping

2013-01-27T19:00:00.000-05:00

As promised, we are continuing our seven days of new features here at We'd Rather Be Camping.

Today's feature is Road Schoolin' Sunday. Not on the road? Never fear! If you're a homeschooler, an unschooler, or even a classroom teacher, we'll have ideas for you too!

First and foremost today is an awesome, free, and educational iPad app perfect for roadschooling or USA studies. Discover USA is currently free (not sure how long this will last, so snag it now!) You can take a virtual road trip across the United States, learn about geographical landmarks, play fun games, and customize postcards. Check out Smartappsforkids.com to download.

A big part of schoolin', whether it's roadschoolin' at a campground or in an RV, homeschoolin', or traditional school, is reading. It seems to me that today's children are so exposed to media, tablets, iPads, e-readers, etc. has changed the way kiddos read. The more interactive, the better. Even simple text on a Kindle engages children differently than a traditional book. Not to mention, some children struggle with reading and need text presented in a way that meets a different learning style. I've found several resources to provide my kiddos with more engaging texts. I love the fact that electronic texts don't take up any room, which is great for roadschooling.

We're encouraging our children to read more difficult texts, some of which are really above their frustration level. In searching for alternative texts, I stumbled upon a Youtube channel called CCProse. They provide youtube videos of public domain classical literature. My oldest is currently reading The Secret Garden.

What I really like about these videos is they read the text aloud and show the words on the screen, but they only show a few sentences at a time. This is a lot less overwhelming than looking at a page full of small words. Not only does this method appeal to the visual learner, but also to the auditory learner. There are easily a hundred plus texts recorded in this fashion, all for free! Your child can read Tom Sawyer, A Little Princess, War of the Worlds, Treasure Island, Wizard of Oz, Romeo and Juliet, Peter Rabbit, The Jungle Book, and many, many more. And they won't clutter up your bookshelves if you are roadschooling!

For more modern books suitable to younger readers, TumbleBooks is a subscription service that provides animated books on video. They have a huge library, organized by reading level,etc. I'm not affiliated with them in any way- I just think their books are awesome! They have quizzes on the books, as well as an option to have students create an electronic book report. They also have a section for older readers, called TumbleReadables. They do all have free trials, so you could use them for a limited time for free. Again, no books taking up space in the camper- yay!

Something I like to do whenever my children read is have them create a foldable Flip Flop Book. This is simply a piece of construction paper folded like a hot dog (lengthwise). You cut flaps just to the center fold to create however many flaps you need. For example, the one pictured has a flap for characters, setting, problem, new vocabulary, and figurative language. While my children are reading, they look for and jot down information to go under the flaps. You could customize the topics to absolutely anything- concepts your child is struggling with, skills you are working on, etc. You can have them search for homophones, contractions, rhyming words, or answer basic comprehension questions. I find that this keeps the kiddos more engaged and accountable while they read, and also gives them a purpose for reading.

An awesome site I have found to make the somewhat dry topic of grammar a little more palatable is IKnowThat. Again, this is a subscription site I'm not affiliated with, BUT, you can do the activities for FREE if you don't mind ads. I'm particularly fond of Alien Word Mine Wack a Word (think Whack a Mole, but with parts of speech). The animations and sound effects are hilarious! The website makes you think you must register to play the game, but there is a small green bar that says "Click here to start your activity". Sneaky!
The Punctuation Paintball game is also great. IKnowThat also has math games, as well as Science, Social Studies, and critical thinking.

So, there you have it! Some ideas that you can use to incorporate into your roadschooling, homeschooling, or even your classroom!

What do you do to keep your children engaged in literacy?

Introducing... Camping Science Saturday! Bubble Fountains and Antacid Rockets

2013-01-27T11:20:00.001-05:00

For the next seven days, we'd like to introduce you to some new features here at Life is Great in a 31 by 8. Today's feature is Science Saturday!

Every Saturday, we will provide you with fun, easy, and engaging science activities that you can do with your kids using common household materials. Or, in our case, common camper-hold materials!

We plan to bring you fun activities that are easy to do while camping, at home, in a classroom, with Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, or wherever your heart desires. We may even sneak in a little science learning!

Today, we have for you two experiments!

The first experiment is a tried and true favorite. It requires nothing fancy, other than items you probably already have at home (or things you probably take camping).

It's been referred to as Elephant Toothpaste, but the scientific name is the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.

You will need:
1 cup hydrogen peroxide
Dish soap
Food coloring (not really necessary, but makes it cooler looking)

1 T yeast
3 T water

Pour peroxide, several squirts dish soap, and some food coloring into a bottle (Water bottle, Coke bottle, Gatorade bottle, whatever you have on hand at the campsite or recycling bin. Preferably NOT an adult beverage bottle!)

Mix yeast and water together.

Please, do this experiment outside, or on a tray, inside a dishpan, etc. This WILL make a mess!

Pour the yeast mixture into the bottle of peroxide/dish soap/food coloring.
Step back and prepare to be amazed.

I'll give you a little hint about what happens.

But you have to try it for yourself if you want to see the really cool stuff!

Now, our second experiment is an example of the scientific process. Sometimes, science works. Sometimes, it doesn't. Today, it didn't.

Madison came up with the idea of creating an antacid rocket, an experiment she'd seen done before. She needed a film canister and some antacid. Of course, a film canister was nowhere to be found, but we did have a prescription medicine container with the non-childproof cap (you know, the ones that you turn the lid one way to be childproof and flip it over to be non-childproof) that just snapped on. She asked for antacid, so I handed her some Tums (or maybe Rolaids).

She filled the medicine bottle 1/3 full of water, dropped the antacids in, snapped the lid on, and stood back. Oh, and she narrated a mad scientist introduction video too! We waited, and waited, and waited.
Nada, zilch, nothing.

So we tried another variable. We put 3-4 antacid tablets in. Still nothing.

Budding scientists that we are, we discussed what other variables we could change. Madison said, "I just don't understand. The Alka-Seltzer worked great!" Ding! There's our problem!

We didn't have any Alka Seltzer on hand, but we did have denture cleaning tablets from another science activity. Hmmm.... Well, we tried one. Not a thing. So we tried two. Nada. Then we tried crushing 4 of them.

We ALMOST had some results. You could see the liquid fizzing, but it didn't build up enough pressure.

My Mad Scientist had to explain the reason for the experiment's failure, though. Something about the seal wasn't tight enough to build up pressure...

Did it work? Nope! Did we have fun? Yep! Maybe learn a little? You betcha!

If you try this experiment while you're camping, here are our recommendations:

Use a film canister if you can find one.
Fill it 1/3 way with warm water.
Drop in an ALKA-SELTZER tablet.

Darling Vintage Camping Valentines

2013-01-17T20:24:00.001-05:00

Who knew?

Camping valentines used to be quite the rage, apparently!

Maybe it's just me, but these are so much cuter than the One Direction /Peace Sign/ Spongebob/ Green Lantern Valentines you see these days.

Aren't they punny? (Yes. I went there. Couldn't help it!)