2024 Family Summer Bucket List + FREE Printable

It's the last day of school and the unofficial start of summer for our family! To celebrate, we spent some time this week creating our annual Summer Bucket List!

Create your own Summer Bucket List with my FREE Printable

As a to-do list fan I love the bullet notes and calendar space so you can think how to schedule everything 😉

2023 Family Summer Bucket List + FREE Printable

The unofficial start of summer is here with Memorial Day Weekend so our family sat down to make our annual Summer Bucket List!

Create your own Summer Bucket List with my FREE Printable

As a to-do list fan I love the bullet notes and calendar space so you can think how to schedule everything 😉

2022 Family Summer Bucket List + FREE Printable

It's the last week of school and my kids are excited for summer! So we sat down to make our annual Summer Bucket List!

Create your own Summer Bucket List with my FREE Printable

As a to-do list fan I love the bullet notes and calendar space so you can think how to schedule everything 😉

5 Ingredient Campfire Cobbler

Our family loves camping and one recipe we have to make every time we go is my 5 Ingredient Campfire Cobbler.  Not only is this a delicious, sweet treat to make over the campfire, but it is easy to make and simple to pack along with all our your camping gear and food!

2021 Family Summer Bucket List + FREE Printable

Summer has officially arrived for our family!  The kids got out of school yesterday so we sat down to make our annual Summer Bucket List!

Create your own Summer Bucket List with my FREE Printable

As a to-do list fan I love the bullet notes and calendar space so you can think how to schedule everything 😉

Camping at Sheffield, Iowa's SafeT Home

* I received a complimentary stay provided by the City of Sheffield, Iowa.

All views and opinions shared are my own. *

If you are looking for a unique, camping experience in the Midwest, you should check out Galvin Memorial Park's SafeT Home, a grain bin esque structure built by Sheffield, Iowa business Sukup Manufacturing.

How to Create Your Own Family Adventure

From camping in the backyard, to hiking at different state parks, to exploring our "backyard", our family is always up for an adventure and this summer has made a point of planning an adventure each week.  Here are some tips and ideas to help you and your family to make your own fun and go on an adventure of your own: 

2020 Family Summer Bucket List + FREE Printable

2020 has turned into quite a year!  There is still some unknown for the upcoming days, weeks and even months, but our family didn't want the coronavirus to stop us from having some summer fun!  So the kids and I sat down earlier this week and made our annual Summer Bucket List!

Create your own Summer Bucket List with my FREE Printable

As a to-do list fan I love the bullet notes and calendar space so you can think how to schedule everything 😉

Simple and Easy Hobo Packets for the Family

*This post has been sponsored by BBQ Week contributors, including 
Michigan Asparagus and Adams Extract and Spice.  
All views and opinions shared are my own.*

No matter if you are camping with a fire pit or at home with a grill, these simple and easy Hobo Foil Meal Packs are perfect for the entire family.

Clear Lake's Yurts - A Family Bucket List Must!

* I received complimentary admission provided by Clear Lake Area 

Chamber of Commerce. All views and opinions shared are my own. *

The sunshine yesterday had me thinking summertime!  Now I realize we haven't even started corn and soybean planting, but it had me thinking about what might be on our family's annual summer bucket list for 2017.

Planning a summer bucket list is a fun family tradition that our whole family likes to get involved in creating.  This year we would like to encourage everyone to make their own, and include camping in one of Clear Lake, Iowa's Yurts!

Clear Lake's McIntosh Woods State Park is home to boat access to Clear Lake, fishing docks, trails, parks, camping spots, and two yurts!  The yurts are a fusion of a cabin and a tent and are located in a private, oak shaded area with its own dock.

A look inside the yurt!

Each yurt comes with a double futon, twin bunk beds, table and chairs, electricity, ceiling fan, picnic tables, grills and firepits.  The yurts also have a nice bathhouse with hot showers and toilets.  You are responsible for bringing your own bedding, bath supplies and camping supplies. We also recommend bringing a fan to help you to cool off more if it is going to be hot during your stay.

My family enjoying time on the yurts' private dock.
Perfect for watching wildlife, water activity and fishing.

To say our family had fun staying in a yurt would be an understatement.  The kids loved how we were camping, and Mom and Dad loved how we were camping, but above the ground, and on mattresses.  We don't own a camper, so this was a nice alternative for our family.  You can rent a yurt for $60 a night.  Reservations can be made up to a year in advance and the yurts are available for rent May 1 - September 30.

Hobo packets on the grill
Roasting marshmallows over the fire

Besides sleeping in the yurts, our family loved relaxing around our fire pit and making hobo packets and s'mores over the fire for supper.  We even made cinnamon rolls over the fire for breakfast in the morning.

Gotta have s'mores!

Staying in a yurt is a perfect way to enjoy Clear Lake.  Our family loves how Clear Lake has events and festivals all summer (and really all year long).  To check out all the possibilities when visiting Clear Lake be sure to visit www.clearlakeiowa.com and order their visitor guide or view the digital edition.  Some of our favorite family activities in the Clear Lake Area are going to City Beach and swimming in the lake and jumping around in the splash pad, and participating in the childrens' programs at the Surf Ballroom.  We also love to grab a bite to eat at PM Park and go to the Viking Drive-Inn for ice cream!

So with all of this contagious sunlight, start planning a summer getaway for your family to Clear Lake!  Have you been to Clear Lake before?  What are some of your favorite summer or family activities?  Remember to Comment for a Cause.

2016 Family Summer Bucket List

Each summer our family loves creating a Summer Bucket List.  I am personally a "list person", so creating an annual bucket list helps me keep track of everyone's wishes for summer fun.  We have had a lot of fun the last few years (2015, 2014, 2013) crossing things off our list and making memories (some of which have even become traditions).  I'm sure this summer will be no different!

This year's Summer Bucket List includes things that we have done in the past, things we want to do more of, and some new things!

Last year we went on a vacation in Alaska and went fishing every day.  Ever since we've gotten back from that trip, the kids have been asking to go fishing again.  So this summer we're going to go fishing at our local lake during Iowa's Free Fishing Weekend - June 3-5.

We have had camping on our Summer Bucket List every year but have yet do it (besides backyard camping)!  This year we'd love to rent a camper (or buy a new one - our old one isn't "livable" anymore) and go camping at one of our local campgrounds.  Both My Farmer and I use to go camping all the time when we were first married in an old pop-up camper.  But once we started having kids we haven't been back.  Our plan is to have that change this summer!

You can't go camping without campfire pizza pockets, hobo packets, campfire apple pies, or s'mores.  S'mores are such a classic summer food and we plan on making them camping and just for fun at our house.

Last year we went Letterboxing once and this year we'd like to go on more letterboxing adventures in our area and when we are traveling.  We have our letterboxing journal and ink pad in the van, ready for our next endeavor.

Inspired by Jen from Just a Mom giving it a TRI, this summer we'd like to have some pizza and park family nights.  What is more fun and easier than grabbing a pizza and taking it to a local park for some good food and fun.  Our kids love going to the park and love pizza - so this is a perfect summer combination for some family fun.

It has been a couple of years since we've been to the Des Moines Zoo, so we'd like to go again this summer, especially because they have a Curious George exhibit going on right now - and we have big Curious George fans in our family.  We are also going on a family vacation to St. Louis this summer and we have plans on going to their zoo too.

We aren't being picky, but we'd like to go to a Science or Children's Museum this summer.  We are planning on going to the St. Louis Science Center on our family vacation, and we are interested in doing a day trip to the Iowa Children's Museum.

Each summer our family gets a membership to our local golf course but it always seems like we don't make time to go golfing.  We have actually already been golfing once this year and hope to do more golfing on Sundays after church.

So there is a look into our family's Summer Bucket List.  What is on your family's list for this year?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

April Showers bring Rainy Day Activities

* This post has been sponsored by YOXO.  

All views and opinions shared are my own. *

Over the last week we've had several rainy April days.  I don't know what it is about rainy days, but after the kids have had the taste of being able to play outside, having Mom tell them that they have to stay inside seems to drive them (and Mom) a little stir-crazy.  So here is a fun list of rainy day activities for your family the next time you find yourself stuck in the house.

Read-A-Thon - My kids love to read, or should I say, have me read to them.  A rainy day is the perfect excuse to hop into some pillows or a big bean bag and make a little reading corner for the day.  LP's favorite book currently is This is Spider-Man Level 1 Reader (Even though he can't read yet, he is interested in the letters and words in this beginning reader book and he loves Spider-Man right now!).  MP's favorite book currently is Go, Dog Go (This is a great book that talks about colors, over/under, up/down, etc. - plus it reads like a Dr. Seuss book which makes it fun to read).  JP's favorite book currently is Baby Faces (This book has been a favorite of all three kids when they were a baby - it is an accordion-style book that can stand up with baby faces on each page.  It is perfect to set up for tummy time.)

Baking - LP and MP are my two big helpers in the kitchen.  They love helping me cook and bake.  So on a rainy day, why not take some time and make some cookies or a pan of brownies.  Make it an extra special day by having everyone put on aprons and make your child's favorite baked treat.  It is also a great excuse to try a new recipe!

Dress-Up - When LP turned 3 years old he got a big box of dress up clothes and props.  This has been one of the best presents he's ever received.  We have added to it over the years and now have fun dressing up as pirates, to cowboys with stick horses, to superheros.  The kids love playing dress up!

Get Crafty - A rainy day is the perfect excuse to make crafts.  Over the last week's rainy days we have made handprint flowers, made rocket ships out of old oatmeal containers, and built a robot from a YOXO kit, to name a few.  Our son LP loves building things and this YOXO construction kit we got at Target was easy to use and lots of fun. The cardboard pieces are Ys, Os or Xs and fit together by slits in them.  Before we built the robot the kit was intended for, LP loved using his imagination and was putting the pieces together to build other robots, a house and a car.  The only thing that was frustrating, was that they had a couple extra pieces in the kit to make a shield and head for the robot out of a thinner cardboard.  The pieces don't stay or fit as well with the rest of the construction and we ended up just taking them off.

Go Camping - That's right, go camping - inside.  My kids love their tent and tunnel they got for Christmas.  The only downside about the tent and tunnel is that it takes up a lot of space - but the upside is that it was perfect incentive for them to get the play room cleaned so we could put it up.  Top off the camping experience with s'mores!

These are just a few things we've kept busy with on our rainy days.  What do you like to do on a rainy day?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!