Why I love camping, glamping, holidaying in a tent...

I do.
It's just lovely.
This year we went up north a few hours in to the Scottish Highlands, the land of midgies and mouintains.  Our campsite in the Rothiemurchus  Estate (near Aviemore)....let me rephrase that. We got to pitch our tent in the woods which happend to have a (fanatastic, clean, refreshingly unisex) toilet/shower/dishwashing block in it.  We literally found a spot to camp for the piddly price of 152 pounds for seven nights.  Don't let the cheapness fool you, we weren't slumming it.
Now, our tent is massive...

See? Big right?

If I could pass on one tip about tent choosing or buying a tent, is get bigger than the number who sleep in it.  Our tent sleeps six even though we are a family of four.  You need the living space for dodgy (normal UK) weather.  You need to be able to take your outside furniture inside and still have enough room for a cooking area.  As it turns out having a canopy that attaches to the front of our huge tent means we haven't had to move indoors yet as a canopy simply means we can stay seated outdoors and not be exposed to wind and rain.  We can still eat out there and still barbeque.  We have born witness to so many families squeezed into a 'perfect fit' tent in the pouring rain.  Get a bigger tent to 'live' in and if you can a canopy for more of an outdoorsy time of it.  I must admit that I refuse to do any type of camping that does not involve being able to stand up inside a tent.  We used to rent holiday cottages and since downgrading price wise to camping, I still want to be comfortable.  I don't want to have to crawl into spaces and sit on the floor. No way no how.

We pitched next to a burn surrounded by trees. That burn was a lot of fun for my boys and even though there was a couple of falling in incidents (one of which was mine but I still argue I did a ladylike sit down.  Okay I was a bit tipsy and my boys urged me to do the obviously obligatory 'You've been Framed' fall in the burn.  Unfortunately being drunk ( did I mention that?) I was a little eager and 'sat down' before anyone got their camera ready.  My boys were not impressed missing out on 250 smackers!!  I really didn't slip in on purpose but still too soon.  It felt lovely to my drunken bottom!).....but oh my it was a lovely spot.  Running water is a heavenly sound.  We saw loads of red squirrels which I have never seen in my life before even though I have tried and failed on many visits to the Highlands. They are so cute and very fast.  The mister manged to get a photo but you have to be quick.

You can spot the wee beastie in the middle of the shot.

 I love the sound of rain on a tent roof which is just as well as it rained loads but as I said it didn't dampen our outdoor life at the tent. It does get cold at night though.  No sleeping bags for us but duvets and lots of woolly crochet blankets and wool blankets underneath the airbeds.  You really need them.  I know sleeping bags are warm but who wants to sleep in a tube.  I don't.  Even in the height of summer with scorchio days, nights are freezing up north in Scotland.
Here's my Biscuits' bedroom...

Necessary midgie putoff-er.

We used the lidded bbq of an evening to keep warm, sitting out once the boys were cooried up in bed, in the glow of candelight drinking tea and chatting.  It was bliss.

 And just look at this view from up the Cairngorm mountain...

 It was driech but it really wouldn't be a fair representation of Scotland if it wasn't.

We traveled up the funicular (which is one of the best words EVER!) railway which was really cool (even if I still got travel sick on the way down, the shandy lightweight I am).
We loved hanging out at our tent, having scrummy one pot dinners and tasty bbq's.  We had tasty lunches out and about, lovely walks, got soaked, ate scones and drank lots of tea. What gets better than that? Crafting, you say? Well I did some of that too.
I have the camping bug well and truly now and plans are afoot for getting a van next year so we can pop off whenever we like.  One negative thing is the packing of the car, roof and trailer but next year it will all go into one van AND we will manage to take our bikes too.  Heaven or what?

X


You can find me on Twitter and Instagram as jammypudding.

Pondering the 'summer' hols.

We are into the second week of the summer hols here folks and I may or not be giving a lovely long list of activities that my Biscuits and I have been up to but alas not.  For one they are of an age now (11 and  8 1/2) where they tend to have their own plans for the day and don't need me to interfere with them. Things like crafting or baking together are rare and only to be enjoyed when they are 'in the mood'.  I remember when they were small and there was a rotation of things to keep them busy all day.  They choose their own these days.  They have been glued to the PS3 as we got them a treat of a new game for the end of the year, good reports etc.  I don't know about you but on one income, new computer games are a rarity in our house. I don't have a problem [in the main] with them playing them either. I monitor, force breaks and think what a great thing they are for rainy days at the beginning of a long holiday from school.  Feeling the freedom of being able to play computer games all day because you don't have to go to school is a wonderful feeling.  Besides the novelty wears off and they naturally look to other things to entertain themselves soon enough.  Going out is not fun at the mo.  They have tried going out to play but it didn't take much to put them off and bring themselves home again.  This kind of constant rain does interfere with playing out as it puts them off from stepping out of doors in the first place.
I have to say too we don't believe in providing constant stimulation for them in the form of lots of days out either. Well of the costly variety anyways.  Rain is a problem regarding the free sort as long walks, picnics etc are simply not as fun in the [this incessant] rain. I suppose we want them to learn to find ways of entertaining themselves without having to pay for entertainment and honestly we cannot afford it and it wouldn't be right to show them that you do it anyway.  Don't I sound cheap??  I suppose it's finding the balance between letting them play/live life using their imagination etc and all the external things available to entertain. I suppose to we want [expensive] trips to things like the cinema to be a treat too.
I always think too that as parents we worry over whether they are out or in and what they do.  Lots of 'shouldn't they be' when really you can see when your kiddies are content and you are just worrying about what 'happy' is brought on by.  As grown ups I think we obsess about 'happiness' but kiddies just get on with living, don't you think? I think that is the biggest thing I have learned since my Biscuits arrived, to take a leaf out of their book and just get on with living each day as it comes, rain or shine etc etc.  I don't always manage it but you know us grown ups have a lot more things to scunner those plans. 

I do love the summer hols, I love seeing so much of my boys and yes my routine goes to pot and the house always feels a mess but you know I get to do a lot more things for me compared to when they were small and needed constant attention and supervision. For example I am just about to disappear for  more than an hour upstairs on my bike and they will happily play away, read or whatever with each other and not even notice I'm gone to be honest.
It's nice not to plan too.  Holidays are for not having things you must do after all.
Oh but please, a bit of sunshine would be heaven!!

X

Effing rain!!

I don't want to be a right old moany face about it but I'm hormonal, therefore feel entitled to moan if I like.  Don't get me wrong in many ways I love rain, the verdant greens, the slate greys of paths and 'making the garden grow' etc but I want to be in my bare feet and flip flops.  I want to have all the windows and doors open and if I cannot, I'd like them to be closed without needing to coory under a blanket or worse, switch the heaters on.  I want to have meals in the garden and hang the washing out, have a view of billowing sheets and hear the birds singing.......
All that list of 'I wants' needs is addition of a goose that lays golden eggs.

SIGH

My boys finish up school tomorrow and I am hoping the weather improves.  I am Scottish, I do not expect a lot, just please please please PLEASE, let it be dry for a spell.

Urgh!!!  Moan moan moan!
I'm off to get on my exercise bike and see if my mood improves.  I have cakes to bake later and cannot be this cross whilst baking, cakes need love to rise people!

X

It's probably pathetic but.....

on a rainy day, when requested to play this with my Biscuits...

 winning tastes very sweet indeed.   Wiped the floor with them I did!!  I even impressed them which is a huge deal in itself.  *dances around*  I get my thrills where I can!!

Less than a week now till school goes back, necessary purchases made (well except for gym rubbers for Eldest Biscuit who has gone up a size and a half in the last six weeks!), questions of how on earth they will be able to be up at seven am, etc. Equally looking forward to and dreading the quiet.  

Tis the same every year.

X