The only reason I get up at 5am….

Ok, truth, I’m an early riser…..but that means 6 or 6:30am. Not 4:45am. 😬

So why then, was I up at 4:45 a week ago with my laptop turned on and coffee brewing?

Mother loving camping reservations!!! In Ontario. 7 am reservations in Ontario means I’m up with the birds to find the **most** suitable spot (perfectionist 🙋‍♀️) for a 24′ foot trailer, a dog, 2 kids and 2 parents who will need space after driving from Alberta to Ontario.

(side note: I do think I got a daaaaaaamn good spot!)

​A few days later, I was up at 6am for Manitoba camping reservations. It goes on and on.

Here’s the thing – camping can be sort of stressful.
The reservations.

The packing.

The groceries.

The 12.6 Paw Patrol DVDs you have to listen to while driving in the car.

The getting kids to sleep when it’s still light outside.

​All of those things. Yes. BUT! It can also be amazing, and the more you do it, the easier it becomes. It’s our absolute favourite thing to do as a family and I can’t wait for my kids to tell these memories to their own kids.

​So, I’m here today with a smorgasbord of camping things for you.

• ​5 items to entertain kids while camping – we’ve since also added this, which was a GAME changer last year.
• ​The only way I survive a road trip​
• ​Our favourite campgrounds close to Edmonton. Since this blog post we’ve added Marten River (Lesser Slave Lake) and Crimson Lake to our list.
• Not ready to go all out? How about comfort camping at Pigeon Lake or Elk Island – we’ve done both.
• Not directly related to camping, but if you have young kids and the idea of doing ‘things’ with them seems daunting, here’s my love letter to you. ​

​And, if you’re already into camping and don’t need any advice, how about this? A photo session WHILE you’re camping? Documenting time together, without phones, in nature, having stick fights and hot dogs. I’m now booking July and August sessions and there’s still a few *very* select weekend dates remaining. If that’s of interest, contact me.

​Happy Camping. (don’t forget to set multiple alarms for the reservations!)

Kelly

p.s. A couple of games we love to play camping that don’t take up much space are Exploding Kittens, Disney Eye Found It and Taco, Cat, Goat Cheese, Pizza​