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this is actually Muskegon Lake that connects to Lake Michigan. This was right across the drive from our site.
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We went twice to the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan - one night at a time. They were mini - training nights for both kids and parents. Here are a few things I learned while camping with my little ones. This isn’t an all-inclusive list, but some things I will be sure to do again. (The pics are from both trips, so don’t be confused.)
Coffee - don’t forget the coffee. We forgot it the first time. Never again. End of story. Next time we had the JetBoil Coffee Press - amazing. Don’t have one? Gotta get it. So good.
2 tents - 1 for play and 1 for sleep. We threw a bucket of easily washable toys with a few board books in the tent. It kept them from sitting in the dirt and playing. They think it’s so cool they get their own spot. It was really nice when preparing meals. I knew where they were and they weren’t getting into trouble. The sleeping tent was only for changing and sleeping. I can’t tell you how much I like sleeping without sand at my face.
Bug Spray & Sunscreen - don’t forget it. It seems obvious, but we gotta protect our little ones.
Anti-Bacterial Wipes - the liquid is nice, but not for camping. Who wants to eat with muddy hands?
Keep your nap/sleep schedule as close to the same as possible. If not, just carve out 2 days of craziness when you get back. Did that. Won’t do it again. It’s too easy to say “well, it’s just 1 day, we’re on vacation.” Not worth it for you or them!
We didn’t have to do the bath/shower thing because we were only 10 minutes from home, but our “neighbors” did outdoor sponge baths with their toddlers at their site. That would probably be more my style - Have I told you how much I hate public bathrooms? I did bring the soaped up wash cloths by Johnson and Johnson. They are disposible, dry and pretty sturdy for a quick washing. Check the baby section.
Bikes - bring bikes and a kid carrier. We threw them in when they wouldn’t fall asleep for their afternoon nap. A short ride around the park and they were out. Transferred them to their sleeping spots and they napped so nicely!
Kid Carriers - we took the stroller out of the car and replaced it with backpack kid carriers after the 1st trip. Deuter carriers to be exact. They fit so nicely and the kids love being up high. This allowed us to walk across the sand and on the boardwalk without being in everyone’s way. (You know my husband owns an outdoor shop, so we of course use the gear he sells. These hold up and wear much more comfortably for just a bit more $. Totally worth it if you’re looking to buy and you’re active. We have a large and a small version. We use the small one in the airport because the kid section zips away when you don’t need it. It came to Disney with us last year! (By the way, if you’re going to buy one, make sure you support your local shop & not the big online stores - just like we buy handmade, we support local as well, right?! ;-)
Bathing suits, life jackets & swim hats. Leave the cute stuff at home or for photo ops (you know how fast they get wrecked in the sand/dirt). & yes, that’s my son wearing my daughter’s rash guard. Hey, he’s too little to know, and you won’t tell!
Boundaries ~
The first thing I did when we arrived at the site was walk my toddler around and show her the boundaries of our site. Literally walked them. Not to say that she didn’t test them at points, but she knew what they were.
Jumper
We didn’t bring this the 1st time and I wanted 1 more thing for him to entertain himself not in the dirt. It was definitely more fun for all to have 1 more dust free “station” for him. We set it in the shade and he had a ball.
Organizing Bins
I love bins. These are made by Eagle Creek, but we also had just some Sterilite bins as well. Bins that held food, others held snacks, others beach items, etc. Everything has it’s place or it turns to chaos.
High Chair ~
We didn’t bring this the 1st time, but learned quickly that it’s a must have. I attempted to feed him in his stroller, but really it wasn’t much fun for any of us. He’s not the biggest fan of his bumbo either so, we threw this in. Note: I strapped it down twice to the picnic table so it could slide or flip over in any direction. I love these chairs!
Hammocks
Eagles Nest Outfitters - these are just fun & relaxing. We sat around and watched the boats and people go by. They pack into these tiny pouches and all you need are two trees. We bring them everywhere and have them up in our back yard quite often.
Boundaries
The first thing I did when we arrived at the site was walk my toddler around and show her the boundaries of our site. Literally walked them. Not to say that she didn’t test them at points, but she knew what they were.
Jumper
We didn’t bring this the 1st time and I wanted 1 more thing for him to entertain himself. It was better for us all to have 1 more dust free “station” for him. We set it in the shade and he had a ball.
Organizing Bins
I love bins. These are made by Eagle Creek, but we also had just some Sterilite bins as well. Bins that held food, snacks, beach items, etc. Everything has it’s place or it turns to chaos.
High Chair
We didn’t bring this the 1st time, but learned quickly that it’s a must have. I attempted to feed him in his stroller, but really it wasn’t much fun for any of us. He’s not the biggest fan of his bumbo either so, we threw this in.
Note:
I strapped it down twice to the picnic table so it could slide or flip over in any direction.
High Chair
We didn’t bring this the 1st time, but learned quickly that it’s a must have. I attempted to feed him in his stroller, but really it wasn’t much fun for any of us. He’s not the biggest fan of his bumbo either so, we threw this in.
Note:
I strapped it down twice to the picnic table so it could slide or flip over in any direction.
We didn’t bring this the 1st time, but learned quickly that it’s a must have. I attempted to feed him in his stroller, but really it wasn’t much fun for any of us. He’s not the biggest fan of his bumbo either so, we threw this in.
Hammocks
Eagles Nest Outfitters - these are just fun & relaxing. We sat around and watched the boats and people go by. They pack into these tiny pouches and all you need are two trees. We bring them everywhere and have them up in our back yard quite often.
Mini quiche that I made at home & stuck in the cooler. Then we ate those for breakfast (eggs, veggies, cheese, a little biscuit on the bottom) If you want my “semi” recipe, let me know - otherwise if you google it there are a bunch of great ideas!
We brought fresh veggies from hitting the farmer’s market so we didn’t have to use a cooler - we just cut up the tomatoes, peppers, etc. We actually made fresh salsa and brought chips! (We forgot a cutting board so we used a laminated game rule page.
Before we left I also made mini turkey burgers that had veggies, fruits & the baby cereal inside of it. They just need to keep refrigerated, but I just froze them first and then stuck them in the cooler. They were thawed by the time we needed them. Brought ketchup for my daughter so she would eat it 
She’s “too old” for baby food so I cut them into strips for her.
She’s “too old” for baby food so I cut them into strips for her. Snacks - we cheat and do the organic puffs, crackers, fresh fruits, and squeeze pouches of apple sauce.
We also used the hobo pie makers and made some yummy biscuits & cheese. We used the refrigerated dough in the cans and spread it out on the maker, added cheese. (we were lazy) but you can make pizzas or stick in some sandwich turkey, etc. Yummy! I want to try avocado in there next.
Sandwich makers - you know the cast iron kind? Yep, grab some of those and you can make sandwiches, calzones, pies for dessert and more. I brought a can of biscuits and we used those buttery, flaky biscuits in the makers with cheese. Yummy! This reminds me that we also brought Cooking Spray to keep everything easy clean.
Goodness, I can’t remember. I think we did beef dogs for a meal - I really cannot stand hot dogs, but it wouldn’t be camping without them I guess? My husband’s big on traditions. We actually cheated and used a cook stove and only had 1 fire at night to save us from worrying about hot coals around the kids.
I'm Virginia & so glad you're here! You'll find me writing about my not-so-perfect journey with my faith, family, life and home. Stick around, comment and join the conversations.
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