Family Weekend

| M Miles

So it began I wanted to go camping agin with the whole family, daughter, son-in-law, grandkids and my other half. I dreamt of ping pong, volleyball, going to the zoo, and campfires. The menu was already planned after numerous conversations with my daughter. Now to only pack and get everything ready to go on this family adventure. We weren’t going far, just a couple hours away : destination – Salina KOA.

We were going to arrive the night before the family so we would have everything ready when they got there. I love three day weekends, especially with family. Thursday when we got there, it was checking in, getting the dogs settled and setting up the trailer. I brought everything I thought we would need, the food along with extra sheets and blankets.

Friday, we went and ate breakfast at the nearby IHOP instead of cooking it, then headed into the town of Salina to pick up the few things we forgot (or should I say I forgot). It was a fun day, thrift stores, parks for the dogs and driving around. Back at camp we played ping pong and sat at the pool (yay it was still open in September unlike so many other KOA’s that closed Labor Day weekend.

Finally my family arrived, there were so many activities we did, walking, swimming well the grandkids did it was to cold for me. We played ping pong, the kids rode go-karts, we played games at the campsite, and we played volleyball. And one of the greatest things of all were they all wanted to plan another camping trip somewhere..Nebraska here we come

Till the next time!

Ciao,

M

A Basic First Aid Kit

| M Miles

Most people are prone to getting a cut, a blister, or even a scrape, so having a basic first aid kit is a great idea. Whether it be a real emergency or just to be prepared for the worst. There are some things that should be kept in all kits.

  1. Dressings and bandages
  2. Adhesive bandages in all sizes to cover all types of wounds.
  3. Alcohol wipes or cotton swabs
  4. Gauze pads of different sizes
  5. Dressing Tape
  6. Disposable gloves
  7. Scissors
  8. Safety pins
  9. Alcohol free cleaning wipes
  10. Sterile water
  11. Eye bandage
  12. Digital thermometer or an old fashioned thermometer
  13. Tweezers
  14. Mouthpiece for CPR
  15. Sanitizer
  16. Disposable syringes
  17. Cotton balls
  18. Basic cough and cold medicine (prescribed)
  19. Antiseptic solution
  20. Aspirin
  21. Povidone-iodine
  22. Antiseptic ointments
  23. Eye wash Saline solution
  24. Calamine lotion
  25. Sting relief spray or cream
  26. Anti-nausea meds
  27. Prescribed medicines

It is also very important to keep your emergency numbers in your first aid kit and make sure that it is kept where it is accessible for everyone. Till the next time it pays to be prepared.

 

Ciao,

M

 

 

It’s That Time Of The Year (Christmastime that is)

| M Miles

So it’s the beginning of what used to be one of my favorite holidays. I used to love Christmas, starting with December 1st the time to put up the Christmas tree and begin decorating. It wasn’t until five years ago, that I began to wish that Christmas would just go away. Reason behind this is because my mom passed away. She always told when she was growing up that she hated Christmas, but yet I loved it so it always got her into buying presents and I would always help decorate.

The first couple years after she passed I did not put up a Christmas tree. I have tons of decorations and lights. This year at our house we probably will not put up a Christmas tree and just use my little metal one and my little pink one. I think nothing is better at Christmas time then to have a real tree. It is the amazing smell that fills the house with the aroma of a fresh tree. The worst part of a real tree is the pine needles. I have done everything over the years from going out on a country road and cutting my own tree, to buying it at the store, and my favorite of all Christmas tree farms. I love dressing up warm and taking walking around picking out the perfect tree – not to tall , not too short, not to dry; then there is the first cut with the saw. dragging it back..So much fun.

I have ornaments from my childhood and since I turned 18 I have been collecting a new ornament every year. I buy my grandkids a Christmas ornament every year, so that way when they get old enough they will have their very own set. I also have ornaments for my fur family members.

So this is my Christmas tree rules, that I have every year. I am looking forward to reviving these traditions this year as time is passing and although it can be sad memory, thinking back the good outweighs the bad. This year however, we will have family on Thanksgiving so I think that is when we will put up the tree.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Ciao,

M

Brain Flog

| M Miles

So I hit and miss on writing. Some days it comes easy and then other days, I have no idea as what to write. Writing this blog is usually about my travels, except now that it is fall I don’t have a lot of traveling planned except for football games.

I really need to feel the need and passion for writing when I try and sit down to come up with a topic. I know that the more I write the better I get. Some stories are better then others and some come with pictures and some don’t. I take pictures all the time it is just that not all go with what I am writing about.

I am sitting here on this Sunday afternoon trying to come up with a topic, watching the Hallmark channel and not doing much of anything. This fall so far I have canned salsa, spaghetti sauce, made pumpkin bread and over the next few days, planning on baking apple cider doughnuts.

As you can see, I am all around the topics on this blog, but I am really enjoying not really sticking to one topic right now. Hope you all have a fabulous Sunday afternoon.

Till the next travel…

Ciao,

M

Autumn Preparation

| M Miles

As the end of summer approaches and everyone heads back to school, I start dreading the cooler temperatures the days of summer getting shorter and not being able to take our boat out of the lake. However, on the other hand I love the thought of wearing sweatshirts, shorts, my cowgirl boots and having bonfires.

The sky start getting a little darker a little sooner and you can tell by the colors in the sky and the crisp colors of the trees as they turn. This is a time when I start feeling the need to make chili, hot apple cider, and start baking. Nothing smells better then the smell of cinnamon and vanilla in the fall along with the smell of apples.

I love to start decorating for this time of the year, the pumpkins, signs and the straw bales are all things that decorate our house. The refrigerator is filled with hamburger, sausage, mushrooms, onions, pastry crusts and bottles of apple cider. One thing that it is never lacking is cheese. This we eat all year long and we always have plenty of different kinds. The pantry is stocked with chili seasonings, maple syrup, hot apple cider packets to take on the go, crackers and lots of different items for soup. Mmmm! Just thinking of these thoughts and smells help get me in the mood.

It is a time to prepare for the cold winters ahead, the snow, and the wood fire in the house.

Till the next trip or adventure.

Ciao,

M

Survival List

| M Miles

Many people out there are called preppers, many people just think about preparing. I am somewhat in between. I think about it a lot anymore. What things do I need, what clothes would I want to have, do I have enough food and water, and am I prepared to take care of my pets.

I have composed a list of what I have come to find that I think that everyone needs to have:

  1. Water: one gallon per person, per day (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home). Plus you want to have extra if you have pets
  2. Food: non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home). Canned meats, beef jerky, almonds, peanut butter and little already prepared meals like raviolis. This is just a few of the things that I have set back.
  3. Flashlight (Don’t forget extra batteries).
  4. A weather radio or hand-crank radio. (I don’t have this yet, I am working on it, but, I do have a regular battery operated radio.
  5. First Aid Kit and any medications that you might need., along with family emergency information
  6. Multi-purpose tool
  7. Fireproof box to hold personal documents, medication lists, birth certificates and anything else you feel important.
  8. Cell phone with chargers. We have both car and wall and I am working on getting a solar one.
  9. Extra Cash. I believe a minimum of $300 is necessary and you want to have small bills.
  10. Emergency blankets, sleeping bags, wool blankets.
  11. You also need to have maps..Yes paper maps, you can map out areas where to go and this way you can keep track of where you have been.

This is just a small list of items. You will want to adjust if you have kids. Plus I have my my fur kiddos and they have there own bag and I have extra treats and dog food for them. One other thing that we like is a deck of cards it helps pass the time, and don’t forget things like a whistle, matches, duct tape and scissors.

Thank you again to all my followers and regular readers, and hello to you if you are new to my blog! Till the next adventure.

Ciao,

M

Dog Traveling List

| M Miles

So we always take our dogs with us where ever we go. I’ve always been the type of person that if I can’t have my dog with me then I don’t want to go or live there. Dogs have always been a part of my life ever since I can remember. So traveling with them there are some basic necessities that you need to ahve.

Some of these include a collapsible water dish. We bought our first one last fall when we went to Colorado and we were in this outdoor supply store where I bought me socks (I forgot to bring them along). This store had everything you needed clothing wise for humans and supplies for our furry kids. We have used this a lot on our adventures.

The next thing would be a tie out. It makes it nice that way we don’t have to continuously hold onto them with a leash. Depending on where you go, a tie out stake is also sometimes useful. Otherwise you will have to attach to something we used the picnic table this last time.

Don’t forget food and water. Most places you go you will be able to get water from the spicket. However depending on how secluded you are you will need to bring your own. Ours don’t usually eat like normal when we travel, but they do go through a lot of water. We also make sure we have a few dog treats.

We also carry a first aid kit stocked with dog supplies..wrap, triple antibiotic ointment, splints, antiseptic, gauze, cotton balls and a couple miniature kits inside that have bandaids and antiseptic wipes .

Thank you again to all my followers and regular readers, and hello to you if you are new to my blog! Till the next adventure.

Ciao,

M

Summer Trip

| M Miles

So many people when going on summer vacations they take a week or two and make plans. We on the other hand like to make the most of summer and take two, three and maybe even four short many vacations. Our first trip this summer was just an overnight trip out to our nearby lake, it was just getting the camper out getting it cleaned up and ready for our upcoming ones (Well it was actually sort of spring when we did that one). Our second trip was over Memorial weekend we drove down to Eureka Springs, Arkansas and had a blast, we took the dogs, prepared for a glamping trip – pizza on the grill, mimosas, ham and cheese croissants on the grill, homemade crab salad. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

Planning our next trip, I have made a list of additional things that we need to take and we are changing our menu around a little. I will list some of the updates and menu items coming up. I might even include a recipe of one of my new adventures.

So on a side note, last Friday we went and looked at a travel trailer and brought it home. It is 6-feet longer than our other one, has AC and a bathroom. Boy what an upgrade! As we were transferring thngs from our old one to this one, I came to realize, we had a lot of stuff we didn’t need and we had alot of things we still needed to bring or yet buy.

  1. Pillows. Specifically for the camper so we don’t always have to take them out.
  2. RV toilet paper. Now that we have a bathroom something to buy. Along with the chemicals that go in it. Walmart near where we live had this, so that was a plus.
  3. We can now stock groceries so we are always prepared for that road trip. Items include: Pizza crust, pizza sauce, black olives, pasta, garlic, bottled water, lemonade mix, green olives, ranch mix, pink sea salt, black pepper, taco seasoning, Italian dressing. Almost all these items came from Dollar Tree, so it was cheap and since they are dry items, they won’t go bad before we use them.
  4. We added our ladder game for some site fun.
  5. In the cabinets I am keeping everything in some type of metal tray, that makes it easy access so I can just pull out the tray and everything is there vs. going through the whole cabinet.

We will see how next week goes, what we didn’t need and what we forgot. Till the next adventure, stay safe and have fun.

Ciao,

M

Camping List

| M Miles

So there are many items you need to take when going camping. Over the next little bit I will suggest what I think is a good list to have. Of course adding to it or adjusting it to fit your own needs is totally acceptable.

  1. Tent or Camper. Whatever you think is the best. We used to use a tent now I love the camper. We still grill out and everything though.
  2. First Aid Kit. You can make a fairly cheap first aid kit with supplies from Dollar Tree. This list will be in another blog.
  3. What ever types of meat you will use. Chicken, steak, hamburger, hotdogs, brats. Depending on how may days you will be out, you can always freeze some meat, hamburger patties you already made up, hotdogs, sausage can be fried for a breakfast casserole.
  4. Sides. Chips, pasta salad, coleslaw, baked beans.
  5. Condiments. Steak sauce, worchestire, mustard, ketchup, mayo. Don’t forget the mayo will need to stay refrigerated.
  6. Snacks. Beef jerky, trail mix, chips and salsa.
  7. Smores stuff. Chocolate, graham crackers, marshmallows. You will need these items especially if you have kids.
  8. Rope and clothespins. This is handy if you have wet towels.
  9. Don’t forget any utensils you might need. Plates, silverware, pots, pans, spatula, knives. Also don’t forget either charcoal or propane.
  10. Finally drinks and ice. Bottled drinks are always best as you can close them up, along with water and ice, ice, ice. We always pack our cooler then add ice on way out of town.

Adjust your list as you need to as these are just basics. Our list is really long and I check and double check. Our list has also changed over time, cause no matter where we go we will always eat out at least one place.

Till our next travel, be safe and have fun.

Ciao,

M