Category Archives: Camp Johnston

Build Your Summer S’mores Kit!

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Disclosure:  All opinions expressed are my own.  This post contains affiliate links which means that if you click on them and purchase the items, we earn a small commission.

If you know me, or have BBQ’d with me, then you’ve probably been subject to my fireside feasts.  I LOVE FIRE!  When we purchased our home and our lake house one of the major items needed was a fireplace, they go all winter long.  In the summer it is no different.  I made sure that we have a fire pit at each, and I love to make a fire, have a drink, and make ridiculous treats by the fire.  To me its the embodiment of summer.  My happy place, my solitude.  I am going to share some of the awesome stuff we do with you.  This one is just how I built my unbelievable s’mores kit.

I know this is a trend now, but I SWEAR (anyone can attest to it, I was doing this a long time before it was chic.  I have linked you up to all of the items I suggest through my buddies Amazon, but I find most of my stuff at Walmart, and the regular food store.

First and Foremost– the items you need in order to do this:

You also NEED somewhere to store everything- my family KNOWS not to touch the smores kit, its OFF LIMITS, I don’t care how much you want a sweet treat.  I keep everything packed up in a plastic tub so it keeps fresh, and it helps them to know what they CANNOT eat.

When I make the kit I put them on a nice tray for presentation.

The bread– (what we affectionately call the outer portion of the s’more) Graham crackers are fine, but it gets super fun when you mix up the bread parts.

Marshmallows– THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT OPTIONS!!
(also worth noting, there was a chocolate peppermin stutffed option this winter, I purchased some and held onto them until summer and they were great so i’ll stock up again this winter)
Candy-
I just went to Hershey with the kids and found some great new flavors I HAD to buy and try (mint, strawberry and birthday cake, will let you know how that went.

CAMP Johnston- Brittany Hollow Farm

Posted on by Posted in Camp Johnston, Crafts, Day Trips, Out and about..., Photo Obsessed .

Disclosure:  This is an unsponsored post, but contains affiliate links.  If you click our links and purchase the item, we earn a small commission.  We have used and highly recommend everything we provide links for.  All opinions expressed are our own.

Last year we did a #RNYMBucketList of outdoor activities we wanted to do.  One of the ones we ADORED was Brittany Hollow Farm.  We went with friends.  Its a pick your own flower farm with tons of amazing different flowers to see and experience.  You pay by the bucket for what you pick, and if you bring your good camera you can also snag some priceless memories.  If you are allergic to bees just be sure as with all activities outdoors that you have your meds with you as there are tons of awesome flowers which of course attract our pollinating buddies (we got stung last year but its no big deal because we aren’t allergic).

  • Its not HUGE, but we also haven’t seen much traffic there.
  • This year we also packed a lunch and blanket to enjoy while there.
  • Its out in the sun, so don’t forget your sunscreen, and go earlier or later in the day to avoid the direct mid day heat.

Extensions:

To commemorate our adventure we decided to try some….Pressed flower art! We are creating something for our adventure wall in the playroom as well as an ornament for our Christmas tree which we do so that our tree is full of our memories.

We purchased an  old school press  (details and links below- click purple to go to the item).  I prefer rustic so we are going that route, but for a more finished product you can go with the glass frames or finished wood.  The wood can of course all be stained or painted first depending on the look you are going for.

LOVE the press that we got, you can microwave the pages to get them to remove the liquid from flowers another time, and its compact and easy to use.  The flowers were pressed PERFECTLY!!!  It said to only leave it tied up for like 2 days, we did more like a week.

The kids were able to lightly pull the flowers off of the paper, if it sticks, its not quite ready yet.

WE researched how they are usually placed, and did a dry run.

We then modge podged the wood, replacing each flower (bottom to top) and glued on top of them as well.  Be careful once those petals get a little wet they can move and rip so go lightly.

Once dried, we came up with a word that we wanted to use for our “Adventure Wall” in the playroom, stenciled and put it up!!!

Physical Extension- Learning Opportunity

I saved a planter for my kids outside my bedroom window.  I had this in mind as soon as we knew they wouldn’t have their camp.  We started by weeding the whole thing.

Then making observations about where it is. We discussed the different kind of plants available and what we would need. Off to Red HIll Nursery we went (its closest to us, but we always recommend the local guys where you live instead of big box).  The kids knew we needed “Full Sun” varieties, and decided on a mix of perennial and annual.  They wanted a mix of heights (we talked a little landscape design) and colors, plus some stuff that would attract butterflies and pollinators.

The kids planted all their purchases, added black mulch, and some AMAZING SOLAR dog paw print lights.

It’s their job to water and keep the flowers alive this summer as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAMP Johnston- Tie Dye Fun

Posted on by Posted in Camp Johnston, Crafts, Crafts and More Crafts .

Disclosure:  This is an unsponsored post.  All opinions expressed are my own.  The supplies list contains affiliate links which means if you use them we earn a small sum.

Yes, I know.  You’re thinking- this isn’t really a novel idea.  Everyone Tie Dye’s during the summer its a standard activity.  BUT its what we used that makes it so cool.  Instead of the usual Shirts, tanks, socks, and shorts- we opted to do towels and face masks.

Now for the rest of the summer our kids have their very own towel creations to take with them to the pool etc, and they LOVE them.  They don’t forget them like they do other towels.  Additionally, we have some personalized face masks that they are proud to wear, and they know belong to them.

Ok let’s get down to the nitty gritty.

What you need:

Got our towels and vinyl from Hudson Valley Vinyl but you can also order from Amazon if you would rather (affiliate links to items are the list above).  We like to support local so we went with HVV.

Once you have all the items its easy-

The kit comes with some ideas for how to wrap up your towel, (E) chose a swirl and (A) chose two bullseyes.

Then we added the dye.  As it got down to about 2/3 we added water again to get a little more out of the small bottles.  When you do this the color gets a little lighter over time, but it wasn’t bad.  I might opt to get larger bottles (like these) since the towels take so much though next time for more vibrant colors.

Upon completion, we wrapped them up in plastic bags and left them for 24 hours (it says you can do as littlea s 6).  WE opened them and laid them out to dry in the sun (not necessary but what we do).

Next step is to wash the towels.  I washed each seperately so the colors didn’t run.

Kids then picked a color vinyl and a shape to add.   If you can’t cut vinyl because you don’t have a machine reach out we know people like Hudson Adrift who can handle that for you.

Viola!  Our Tie Dye Towels (and mask)!!!

 

 

CAMP Johnston- Fairy Trail

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Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post- all opinions expressed are my own.

So here we go…. You saw my post about fishing and here’s another one that’s fun.  For each of our activities we will post follow up fun that you can do at home to extend the experience.  All are free or cheap, and some contain either sponsored of affiliate links for you to use, but nothing is ever recommended unless we actually use it.

We decided to head to the South Mountain fairy trail with friends because hiking is something we can do outdoors and socially distance while “playing” with our buddies.  A new found favorite activity, which we will write about often, and share our experiences.

What we found:

  • Its cute

  • It’s crowded (go early morning/late evening, or on a sprinkly day to avoid crowds)
  •  Porta Potties are gross and have no TP so bring your own and sanitizer
  • It is a 1 mile hike- but we got lost(ish) and ended up doing 4.5 which was fine- we were avoiding crowds and veered off.
  • Not everyone wears masks
  • You can bring your own creation and leave it if you want to do it ahead of time

What we did to extend it:

  • Made a Fairy house out of natural materials

  • You can make a “bird house” from Chocolatier Matisse (which also comes with tasty chocolate treats) that doubles as your own fairy house and decorate your yard or wooded area (which is what we did).  Call to order for pickup Wednesday – Saturday 845-365-0285 Gluten free available.
  • Call Jill’s Ceramics and pick up a socially distant kit to paint your own fairy and/or gnome.
  • Read the adorable book “Backyard Fairies“
  • Add pre-made Gnomes, Fairies, and /or dragons (we always have to have dragons here) to play with and add to the fun (also if you search them, so many fun accessories you can add too).
  • Nerdy Teacher addition- We have a book (A) has to write and (E) will start this year as well, “Johnston Adventures” that we add to after each trip we take. We work on sentence structure and detailed writing (it’s not his favorite).

These awesome activities gave us almost a week of fun creating and making our own magical space in the yard. <3

If you love it, and you try it, tag us in a pic!  We LOVE to see you trying out our adventures!!! #RNYMCAMPJohnston

CAMP Johnston- Sea Glass Hunt

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Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post.  All opinions expressed are our own.

Yes people, hikes are ALL THE RAGE right now.  We love them because risk is fairly low, and its exercise.  Plus there are so many cool extensions you can do at home.  The weather has been a little hot and humid so we still suggest going early am, hydrating often and maybe hitting up a day where its overcast, or sprinkling to avoid crowds.

Cool hike about an hour away is the Palisades NJ- Sea Glass Hunt.  We went with friends and had such a fun time!!!

The website said the hike was about 1.5 miles to the sea glass beach, we found it was more like 2.5 each way, but that’s cool.  There are several little places you can stop along the way to hunt but the largest is the one they reference at the end.  Bring a bucket (like these awesome foldable ones, and we recommend rubber boots  (like THESE which our guys get in their Easter baskets yearly) so that you can get into the water a bit.

While there we talked about how sea glass is made, and where it came from, as well as different colors.  If we found a piece that wasn’t rounded or matte enough, we threw it back in for another round of tumbling.  Disclosure: some is sharp be careful.

Extensions:

Sea Glass Reading– “The Sea Glass Treasure“, “The Legend of Sea Glass“, “Hunter’s Handbook“, “Crafts“.

Crafting– There’s the craft book posted above, or tons of ideas on “Pinterest”, We found this awesome piece of driftwood while we were there too and made this super cute decoration for the playroom, and of course, an ornament for our tree as we always do (I keep these fillable ornaments on hand for just such opportunities).

Make your own – INSTRUCTIONS HERE using a rock tumbler (which (A) got for his birthday this year).

Either way it was a super fun day out with friends and the kids.  The photos are super cute and the kids learned some stuff..

CAMP Johnston is in Session!

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Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post.  All opinions expressed are my own.

WHAT A YEAR 2020 IS!!!  So many things have changed!!!  

Some of our amazing camps are open online and/or in person this year (click here for info on our directory), but Day Camp in the Park (where my kids go) is not.  Which was smart for them, and fine for us because we couldn’t have sent our kiddos because (E) has some health issues.  In lieu of camp, we are doing our own home camp complete with activities that we want to share for you!!!

First up is FISHING!!!  Which is best done in the am before it gets hot, or in the evening. 

Our kids are LOVING fishing.  You can get your license online or over the phone (here) adults, and kids are free up to age 15.

You can fish at your local watering hole (where we have been catching Sunnies and Blue Gill like crazy- only snagged one Carp).

For information on how to catch and release and other information you can check out – HERE and then when you are done you can download the booklet, fill it out and get an official BADGE from the National Park Service!!!

What you need: (these affiliate links mean that if you go here and purchase something we get a small bonus)

5 ft Fishing Rod– We like the ugly stick- and recommend practicing casting in the back yard to start (our 6 year old does).

Polarized Sunglasses– You can see the fish a little better in the water with these, and they also double as protective gear in case you yank the hook out of the water.

Fishing Line– This 8 lb line will catch you Sunnies and Carp fairly easily- but you’ll need a higher weight if you go heavier.

Power Bait–  It smells gross- but isn’t a worm if that’s not your thing.  It works well, the fish eat it up (ha ha ha).  But we’ve had some great success with sweet corn too!!

Multi-tool– Both of our kids wear these on their belts.  They are great for releasing the fish back into the lake (without even having to touch them) and cor cutting line etc.  We have found these to be moderately priced, and great to have in the outdoors. FULL DISCLAIMER- this has a knife on it and should be used only in supervised situations, our children are NOT allowed to touch them unless we are doing something outdoors which requires it.

Ponytail Hat– (E) and I love these for keeping the sun off our face and Hair off our necks.  This one gives you the option of how high you want that pony tail and comes is many colors (which is (E)’s favorite fashionable part).

Enjoy the great outdoors, don’t forget your sunscreen and share pics with us we LOVE to see them <3  Also, remember hunting and fishing day at congers Lake is always during September if you would like to try it out for your first time <3