Budget « coffee with Julie

Archive for the ‘Budget’ Category

July 3rd, 2010

Camping lesson #1: If there’s no nature, it’s not worth it

In an attempt to bring ourselves back into the camping spirit now that we have children, we bought a pop-up tent trailer this spring. I admit that we swallowed our pride when we parked it in our driveway. It really put a damper on our camping “street-cred.” Just as we defiantly swore we’d never buy a minivan just because we had children (and, for the record, we still have not succumbed … yet), we also swore to never “car camp.”

Our first expedition with this clunking announcement of parenthood was to Algonquin Park. We spent a weekend at Achray, and it was wonderful. It really renewed my faith that perhaps I would once again enjoy camping. We could use the pop-up tent trailer just until the kids got older and strong enough to canoe and portage with us. It would all be okay. (Well, actually, I knew that everyone in the family would like camping regardless … who’s kidding who — it was all about me. Stella’s been a regular camper well before she was out of diapers, but always with her father. You can read her great tips for camping with kids here on the Kids in the Capital site.)

This is what the view looked like from our camping site at Achray, Algonquin Park:

With such a great start to our new life as “family campers,” we were keen to head out again. On the Thursday night before the May long weekend, we had not found time to plan anything but felt like taking off. We did a very quick google search for a camp ground in the Lake Placid area. I had fallen in love with this area during the winter and I was keen to go back during warmer weather. Our google search led us to a style of camping we had never done: the “ultra-campground.” These campgrounds were huge, had paved roads to the sites, an outdoor pool, a children’s playground, hot showers and flush toilets. Hubby hesitated; I said: “Come on! It’ll be fun! It’s not our style but the kids will love it.” So we booked it.

And this is what the view looked like from our site at the North Pole Campground in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State:

I think you’ll agree that both settings look beautiful. But there was a vast difference in reality. What you can’t see in this photo is that there were people on sites in front and back of us, with only a mere few feet between. Also, while that water looks inviting, you couldn’t actually swim into the river from the campground — just look at it. To go for a hike, fish or swim, you had to leave the campground. So, really, there was not much to do with the children at the actual site itself. They got bored VERY quickly.

And what do children do when they get bored? Whine. (Whining is actually a “nice” way to describe the screechy phase my two-year-old son has stumbled into lately.)

And who was in those camp sites in front and behind us? Other families, right? That’s what I would have thought … I mean, who in their right mind would choose to camp like this if not weighted down with diapers and other kid paraphernalia?

As it turns out, though, it was retired couples. Not only did this mean that our children had no playmates about, but that I immediately felt uncomfortable … other parents wouldn’t even notice if our children were loud or rambunctious, but the quiet couple sipping drinks next door? Oh my, I couldn’t help but think that I was ruining their weekend.

Since there was really nothing to do at the camp site itself, my kids were constantly wanting to go to the playground. And if I wanted to sit around a playground all weekend, I would have stayed home! If I’m going to go through the hassle of packing up to go camping, I want to be surrounded by nature. I don’t want to have to walk along a highway to get to nature, I don’t want to have to get in the car to get to nature, and I don’t want to worry that my kids’ natural noise-levels are disturbing other people.

Now, that was my experience in an “ultra-campground.” The North Pole campground itself was top-notch: spotlessly clean, with friendly, helpful staff. But it wasn’t for me. At all.

I was miserable. So much so, that we packed up and drove home a day early.

I have since spent every spare moment re-planning our summer vacation. There is simply no way in hell that I am spending my summer vacation — my first vacation in over a year and a half — road-tripping with our tent-trailer, as originally planned. And I’m getting no complaints because NO ONE wants to be with me when I’m miserable!

2 Comments »

April 27th, 2010

Tom Thomson knew a good thing when he found it

The celebrated artist Tom Thomson and his comtemporaries in The Group of Seven spent a great deal of time in Algonquin Park. The Park was more rugged then, and more quiet I’m sure. But despite the changes over the years, this Park remains as inspiring as ever.

Jack Pine by Tom Thomson (1916), from National Gallery of Canada

Hubby and I have had a long-lasting love affair with this Park. So much so that I wanted to name our son or daughter Quin (short for Algonquin). We’ve spent countless hours alone in the park. On islands adrift in lakes, with no one around but the stars. And we’ve proudly brought visiting family and friends from outside of Canada into the Park as well.

These trips were all before children. I was much hardier then. Our trips into the Park were more like adventures — tons of canoeing and lots of portaging — where we would seek out spots few others had been to. Now, I use our two children as an excuse for not undertaking this kind of trip … they wouldn’t be able to physically do it, we’d be too far from help if something happened, it’s too complicated with diapers, etc. But really, it’s me. Somehow motherhood has softened me rather than toughened me up.

But this past weekend I returned to the Park. Hubby is determined to bring me back to my former camping self. With baby steps. Baby steps that include a tent trailer.

So rather than head out into the wilderness, we parked at a tent site with our trailer. Although we are admittedly “camping snobs” who don’t do “car camping,” we’ve resigned to swallow our pride for this portion of our lives with young children. And I think you’ll agree after looking at this photo, that really, it wasn’t that tough to swallow our pride afterall.

The peaceful view from our site.

Algonquin Park is enormous, so it does help to know where you’re going. We had that to our advantage, but now you will too! This is camp site #23 at Achray.

As far as car camping goes, Achray campground does manage to preserve some of our most treasured camping elements: peace, quiet (no radios allowed!), and treed sites that are quite private. And it’s also the locale where Tom Thomson painted his famous Jack Pine. In fact, you can take a short hike (very easy, kids can handle it no probs) to the exact spot where the pine tree was!

But alas, the pine tree no longer stands there. It died, and then some stupid campers cut it up for fire wood.

The site of the painting Jack Pine.

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. We relaxed, we ate, we hiked, we spotted wild life.

Can you spot the wild life?

All was good in the world. (And then it snowed on Tuesday.)

8 Comments »

April 3rd, 2010

Personal style: Sacrificed at the altar of family

Most of the folks in our circle started out strong.

We wouldn’t sacrifice our personal style just because we were starting a family. Hell no! Just because we’d be parents didn’t mean we’d have to give up our sense of “cool.”

But, one by one, we’ve all slipped into family-dom. Some jumped in whole-heartedly, while others — like my husband and I — tried to hold on stubbornly to as much as we could.

Here are some flashing signals that you too may have sacrificed your personal style for “family-dom.” Some sacrifices are made for budget or safety, others for convenience or just plain sanity-sake. And some…well some are just plain unavoidable.

Your waist: The first to go for most of us females is our personal fashion sense. Once the pregnancy waddle kicked in full gear, I simply couldn’t avoid wearing clothes that normally I wouldn’t have been seen dead in. Although I tried with full might (and many dollars!) to keep a sense of style during my pregnancies, I admit that I could not avoid the dreaded tops with the ties at the back. Oh, how I hate those ties. But, oh, how hard it is to find maternity clothes without them!

You’ve pimped your ride: Did you stick one of those “Baby on Board” signs on your car’s rear window? Come on … you can tell me. I won’t laugh (okay, maybe just a little!).

Plastic is now home decor: Where you once may have had a red leather sofa as the centerpiece, you now have piles of plastic crap — I mean, toys – covering virtually every square inch of your living room. Yes, not only have you pimped your car, you’ve pimped your home too! (Perhaps I should contact the producers of the “Pimp my ride” television series and pitch a “Pimp my life” show?)

Your purse was a baby shower gift from Toys R Us: Did you grudgingly accept the fact when your baby was born that you’d have to trudge around town carrying a diaper bag? Sure, we all did. But now, tell me this: Has your child been out of diapers for a few years now? So why are you using it as your hand bag still? It’s okay, don’t cry. You’re not alone.

Your idea of a sports car is a mini-van with a mini soccer ball hanging from the rear-view mirror: Sure, they’re practical. No argument there. But did anyone ever grow up dreaming of owning a mini-van? And have you ever known someone under the age of 30 to own one?

Swiss Chalet is gourmet: Remember during your courtship how you two would dine in the latest restaurant du jour? You threw on an outfit at a moment’s notice (without ties at the back, dammit!) and wined and dined on new and interesting tastes. Now, it’s all relative to McDonalds. So Swiss Chalet is a gourmet treat!

Okay, this list could go on forever. At this point, you may be wondering what has started me on this little tirade. So, I’ll tell you. That’s right … I will publicly pronounce just how far we’ve slid. We’ve gone from the couple who did “real” camping — never “car camping”; EVER. We went out into the wilderness searching for locales where no other humans would be. Or had possibly ever been! But not anymore, my dear friends. We’ve sacrified our sense of outdoorsy cool at the altar of family.

We just bought one of these:

That’s right — a tent trailer. Have a little chuckle. It’s okay, I’ll forgive you.

Not only have we given up our “street cred” as “real” campers, we have it proudly popped-out in the driveway as a type this post.

Okay, it’s worse than that. My husband is sleeping out in the tent trailer — in the driveway — as I type this post! And this is his second night in a row doing so.

And he’s not out there because he’s in the proverbial dog house – it’s because Stella and her friends are so darn excited with it that they’ve been begging for sleep-overs in it. So, although he may have sacrified his own personal sense of “cool,” hubby is definitely cool in the eyes of the under-eight set. And that’s got to count for something. Right? …. right?

14 Comments »

March 23rd, 2010

The March Break Highlight

So, all the Ontario kidlets are now back to school. I hope most of you were able to enjoy some March Break relaxation.

Things here have been busy for me (as I’m sure it is for other Ottawa local readers since government fiscal year-end = lots to do and all on by an immovable deadline of March 31st). Wouldn’t it be great if the kids’ spring break started on April 1st?

My 7-year-old, Stella, and hubby, however took some time off for quality pursuits. Yes, you’re probably thinking about this. But I’m not sad to report that that never materialized. Instead, she achieved this:

Yes, she climbed her very own mountain!!! As you can imagine, we are crazy proud of her. Hubby gave her plenty of opportunities to turn around, but she was really determined to make it to the top.

This peak is one of over 100 different peaks, ranging in height from 1200 to over 5000 feet (370 m to over 1500 m) in the Adirondack Mountains, which surround beautiful Lake Placid. And the mountain peak that she is facing is actually Mont Cascade, the one I climbed earlier this season.

So now we have both tackled our first mountains!

One little difference, though. After I climbed my mountain, I returned to a nice cozy hotel room. And Stella? Here’s where she and hubby chose (chose!) to stay:

2 Comments »

March 15th, 2010

Need to getaway? Make a break for Montreal.

If one day at home with the little cherubs on March Break has you swilling wine tonight, it’s time to consider a getaway.

In all seriousness, I do find it hard to feel like I’ve had a “break” if I don’t leave home, don’t you? And I often think children must feel that way too.

A visit to the Biodome museum's rainforest is better than being at an all-inclusive resort in Costa Rica. (Okay, no really. But it is better than doing laundry at home.)

I’ve got a getaway idea for you that won’t break the bank: Montreal. When I brought my daughter to this city, she really did feel like she’d travelled to another place — new environment, different language and a hotel with a pool! Woohoo! It’s easy to make kids happy, really.

So, from Ottawa, you’re looking at an hour and a half drive. Not much, really. You could do it all in one day, or you could splurge and spend the night.

To give you a feel for how it could all shake out, here’s what I did over a 2-day period not long ago:

We packed up a car with two moms and two seven-year-olds.
Drove straight to Auberge Universal, which is a basic but definitely decent family-friendly hotel, in Montreal.
The hotel is located right near the Insectarium, the Botanical Garden and the Biodome nature museums and will provide you with a free shuttle service back and forth, to and from.
After meadering around and learning and admiring earth’s amazing creations, you then return to the hotel to eat a nice big burger and fries (sure, the hotel restaurant is supposed to be Italian, but whatever. Sometimes a girl just needs a burger.).
Once dinner is complete, ensure that the little ones are nice and tired by heading down to the pool for a swim — kids only, of course. Moms can sit leasurely on the side, sipping wine from their Siggs.
Head back up to your room. Crash.
Enjoy a hearty breakfast at the hotel and then start making your way back to Ottawa.

Monsieur Croc

Penguin Party!

Les Creepy-crawly

All for $185.00! Includes accommodation for 2 adults and 2 children under 10, breakfast, shuttle, parking, and tickets to all three museums. Not a bad little getaway, eh?

Go on — be spontaneous! You know you wannnnnnnaaaa.

Other details on this Montreal trip can be found in this post. For more March Break getaway ideas that are within driving distance, check out this list here.

Questions? Just leave a comment. I’ll be happy to provide any details that I can.