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Tablecloth weights: who knew?

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I was sitting on the patio at my in-laws’ house enjoying a nice cup of coffee when something gently bonked my leg. It was a teeny, tiny silver elephant, which was clipped to the corner of the tablecloth. This wee pachyderm appeared to be weighing down the tablecloth so it wouldn’t flutter up and blow away. A tablecloth weight! How genius! Who knew? It turns out, after an exhaustive Google search, that there are about a zillion kinds of clip-on tablecloth weights that you can purchase instantly, and for not too much $$, either.   Check these out: First off, how about the cute, little pewter RVs pictured above! Come on, campers, you know you want ‘em. http://dgworld.co.uk/blog/outdoor-cooking-equipments-romes-2034-set-of-4-2-5-inch-x-1-inch-vintage-rv-tablecloth-weights/ Or these slightly creepy 2” large black ants (these ones won’t spoil your picnic … in fact they might save it). You can find these at: http://www.organizeit.com/tablecloth-weights-set-of-ants.asp And who doesn’t appr...
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Our Very First Group Camping Trip

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photo credit: Nadine Wegner By guest blogger Peter Valentine Our kids’ class has a tradition of reserving a block of sites at a Campground in the Catskills for a start of summer multi-family camping trip. While we love camping, we were reluctant to open our quirky unit to a 24/7 togetherness campaign. Our messy, disorganized family of five can barely get to school on time (OK, we’re never on time) and running with the pack is often a challenge. But this year, we decided to give it a try. We started out early (for us) and still managed to be the last family there.   And as we tried to maneuver our food up to the now-waning community grill, and as our tent and gear still sat in a pile beside our car and as our kids’ requests for this and that grew more intense, all my fears were confirmed. This would be a prolonged display of the fact that our family was in a constant state of chaos management. And then one Mom handed me a plastic cup of single malt whiskey. And another Mom and Dad f...
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10 Little Things That Make Kids Happy on Camping Trips

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Hello, my friend. Allow me to go get my apparatus. Just like grownups, kids need little things to keep them happy, especially on camping trips. For some kids, a simple, wooden car and a pile of dirt will do. For others, something pink and sparkly is in order. Still others maintain a positive outlook with the help of a math workbook and a handful of sharp pencils. Here's a bunch of kid-tested, low-tech gadgets that will help a variety of individuals stay optimistic out in the wild: 1. A Compass.  The eternal question is: “How does the compass know which way is north?” The answer is: It’s magic. No, the real answer is that the needle on a compass is a teeny-tiny magnet and the North P ole is magnetic, so the magnet points to the North Pole. I mean, that’s basically it – it’s really called magnetic north, not the North Pole. But if I said that, I wouldn’t be able to work Santa Claus into the explanation. 2. A Magnifying Glass.  When your daughter befriends a giant,...
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