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Unplug and get away with Carefree RV!! #yourcarefreesummer #livincarefree #becarefree

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With the warmer weather finally here, I know a lot of families are looking forward to the summer, like we are!!  

We’re a camping family and get out in our RV as much as we can each summer!  Camping is such a great way to disconnect from regular life (and devices) and reconnect with your family!

If you’re looking for some ideas, Carefree RV resorts are an affordable way of taking a vacation to an ideal location!!  There are 15 parks in Ontario scattered around from Muskoka, Prince Edward Island, Windsor, and the Greater Toronto area.  Each park has a wide variety of activities!   

Don’t worry if you don’t have an RV, there are rental options available.

Let me tell you a bit about 2 of the parks to give you an idea of what Carefree RV offers…

Sherkston Shores

Sherkston ShoresOn the beautiful sandy shores of Lake Erie, Sherkston Shores resort offers 560 acres of beautiful landscape, topped off with two and a half miles of sandy beachfront. Keep yourself busy with pools, waterslides, splash pad and a quarry stocked with fish. Just 90 minutes away from the Greater Toronto Area and mere minutes away from the US border, Sherkston Shores is a fabulous vacation alternative that offers so much more. RV sites, rustic cabins and a range of vacation cottages are available for rent.

Willowwood

WillowwoodLocated just 20 miles of both Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan — Willowood is a top destination for both U.S. and Canadian families. We have 329 RV sites with fire rings as well as cabin and park model rentals available.

Willowood family-friendly grounds feature a playground, horseshoe pits, sand volleyball courts, an outdoor movie theater and miniature golf course. Our guests keep cool relaxing and swimming in our large pool, our kiddie pool and our splash pad area. There’s even an arcade room to entertain the kids on rainy days. We also pride ourselves on providing a whirlwind social calendar that includes story time, chocolate bar bingo, crafts, potlucks, dances and movies. And don’t forget to take a hay ride with our Carefree characters – Benny Beaver and Suzie Squirrel

Special Offer just for my readers!

Carefree is offering a special offer exclusive to you!

20% off daily rates on RV sites, cabins and vacation cottage rentals at 14 of the Ontario RV Parks. This promotion is valid from May 1- June 31

Use promo code Blog20 for tent and RV Sites
Use promo code BlogRT for cabin and cottage rentals

Head over to Carefree RV’s site to use the promo codes.

Carefree RV

See all 15 locations and book now!

Get your summer started now!  Head over to Carfree RV’s site to see all of the locations available and what they have to offer!  Camping with your family is such an amazing experience!  Whether in a tent, RV or cabin…it is so great to get away and connect with nature and reconnect with your family!

 

Getting our pop-up trailer ready for a summer of fun!

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At the beginning of every summer, we pick up the trailer from our winter storage location, bring it home and prep it for the summer.

Cleaning the outside of the trailer

After sitting outside for the winter, the trailer is ready for a good cleaning.

The awning bag usually needs a good scrubbing, especially around the zipper where the fabric can get moldy if it’s not taken care of.

The tops of the bed areas always seem to be the dirtiest.

Using the cleaner, the dirt gets scrubbed off and rinsed with clean water.

 Cleaning the inside of the trailer

At the end of every summer, before we take the trailer to the RV service centre to be winterized, we always clean the inside.  We’re sure the wipe down all of the tables and vacuum the seating, beds and floors. Because it’s going to be stored for several months, I’d hate for dirt and dust to get left inside.

When we open the trailer, everything gets wiped down and windows are opened to air it out.

Hooking up the electricity, water and propane

Electricity is the easiest part of the testing process. Connect the trailer to the outlet in the garage using an extension cord, and when the lights come on inside, you know all is good.

Water is a bit more tedious.  When they winterize the trailer, all of the water lines are filled with anti-freeze.  This needs to be flushed out until all the water runs clear.

We have a water tank under the trailer that needs to filled and cleaned out as well.

Once the propane is hooked up, the hot water tank needs to be turned on and tested.

This always tests my patience.  The propane tank needs to be opened and then you have to wait.  After about 5 minutes, the switch can be turned to light the pilot light.  If the propane isn’t completely through the system yet, the pilot won’t lite and you need to wait a bit longer.  Once the pilot lights, then you can turn it on and the water heats up.

Once the water has heated up enough, I run the water inside and to finish flushing the anti-freeze out of the system.

All lines are flushed, even the outdoor shower.

We’re ready to go camping!!

Once all systems checked and working, we load up the sleeping bags, pillows, chairs and anything that will be used over the summer into the trailer.  The trailer gets closed up and taken to our summer parking spot.  With it being left partially packed, it’s very easy to pack some clothes and food, grab the trailer and run away for a weekend.

Do you have a camping trailer??
What prep do you have to do to get ready??

Have a favourite camp memory? Blog it & share it, comment and help send a kid to camp! #campexpo

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Last year when I participated in promoting Camp Expo 2012, I blogged how going to camp helped me to become the adult I am now.   Last summer, Rachel went off to her first year at camp and can’t wait to go back!

The memories she made in that one week at camp are going to stay with her for a lifetime!

This year, with your help, we can send some kids to camp and help them become amazing adults too!!

Are you a blogger? Do you have a summer camp memory that you’d like to share?

Our Kids Is hosting a Camp Memories Blog Linkup in support of Kids in Camp.

For every post linked up on their Linkup page, they will donate $5 towards sending a kid to camp. 
 
For every comment on this post or on the Our Kids page, they will donate $1 towards sending a kid to camp.

Imagine the camp memories you could help create!!

To join me at the Camp Memories linkup with your own blog post, click here for the instructions.

Be sure to read the instructions, and then add your link here:

Connect with over 60 Camps at the Our Kids Camp Expo!
Talk to camp directors in person and find the right camp for your child.
Register now for free admission on the Our Kids Expo page.

yes, I let my 7 year old go to camp, so what?

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Two things happened over the weekend that shows me how much Rachel is really growing up. These things also showed us how much we have grown as parents too!

“I’ll give you my email address to give to your new friends from camp.  Or maybe we could just get you your own!?!”

I said these words over breakfast on the morning that Rachel was leaving for camp.  I hadn’t really thought about it before that.  Craig and I agreed that this wasn’t a bad idea.  Unfortunately, we ran out of time before we left to make her her own email address, but we will.

This will give her a little independence and a lot of responsibility. We will work with her to stay safe, but have fun at the same time.

Last night a comment on Facebook (which has since been deleted), really got under my skin.  Someone posted that they felt that Rachel was too young to go to camp and that she couldn’t imagine letting her son go.  Her son is almost a year older than Rachel.  So because she is hesitant, she feels it’s okay to publicly question my parenting choices?  I explained that I had gone to camp when I was 6 and Rachel is now 7 1/2.  Her response was “would she jump off a cliff if you did?”

Give me a break!!

I would not send my kid to a place if I didn’t trust them.  I would not send my kid to camp if she didn’t want to go. There are many things that I have done in my life that I would love for my children to experience but if they don’t want to then they won’t!

Why do I have to defend my choices for my kid? I don’t!

And if Rachel wanted to jump off a cliff, and I knew it was safe, maybe I’d let her!  I recently jumped off a cliff myself.

And climbed up one (thanks to Ford Canada!) …

I can’t keep my kids in a box. They need to explore the world…with us…and without us.  I can’t shelter her forever.  By letting her go out into the world, it will show what successful parents we are, that what we have taught our daughters will help them be successful when we’re not there for every step….or jump.