May July Be A Great Month For Sales

July can be a great month for sales. My mantra these days is “May July be a great month for sales.” Specifically, sales on camping equipment. Here are some great sales I have found going on online.

REI
REI Quarter Dome T3 Tent Reduced to: $229.99 Originally: $299.00








Primus EtaPower EF Trail Stove Reduced to: $79.99 Originally: $115.00






Sears

Coleman 12ft x 10ft Sundome Tent
Reg Price: $99.99
Savings: $20.00
$79.99
2-day sale







Kelsyus Convertible Canopy Chair - Blue
Reg Price: $39.99
Savings: $10.00
$29.99








Gander Mountain
CampRight™ SUV Ten
Reg. $309.99 Sale $269.99 Web Price Only
Plus a 3-day only special. Save $20 on orders of $150 and up








Wal-Mart


Ozark Trail 16' x 10' Dome Tent
$60.00
Was: $78.00








Ozark Trail Queen Air Bed Kit
$29.88







I consider these to be good sales, if you need camping equipment now. I like to wait until the end of summer. Last year, I was able to buy my tent ant 50% off. This year, I am watching for a Coleman tent to be marked down to 50%. There is a risk to this way of shopping. First, there’s no guarantee that they will still have the Coleman tent I want when it’s time to mark tents down. Second, if they do, there’s no guarantee that I will get there first.

Taking A Family Camping Trip With An Autistic Child

This year, I have introduced camping to my kids. I was worried how they would react the first time we took them camping. My husband and I planned out what to take and what we would do while camping. The first camping trip started out chaotic. We had to make several trips to the store to get items we had forgotten. Packing was a huge chore. I wanted to make sure the kids had a few items from home to keep in the tent. I also needed to make sure that I packed my son’s sheet (he won’t sleep without it), and his radio (have to be able to listen to Shania Twain).

With the truck filled with camping gear and what not (really, do we need all of this to go camping with?), we headed out to the campgrounds. It’s a good thing that it is close by, because we did forget a few things. Hard to imagine, with everything that we packed, we actually forgot an item or two.

Setting up the tent was our first task. It went up without too much trouble. Unloading the truck was a family event. All done, I sat down in my chair and watched my husband go back to the house to pick up the few items we forgot. I played games with my daughter while we waited for his return. My son, of course, listened to Shania.

When my husband returned, we went fishing. My son wasn’t happy about that, at first, because I wouldn’t let him bring his radio. Fishing went over great with the kids. My daughter snagged her first catfish, by the eye. The rest of us didn’t catch a thing. The rest of the camping trip went by quick. We were only there for one night. Not long enough for me.

Our second trip, this past weekend, was for the whole weekend. We didn’t bring my son’s radio, because he had played his Shania CD so much, that the CD player in his radio would not work. Big mistake. The next morning, I sent my husband back to the house to get it.

There were a lot of campers there, this time. Last time, it was us and another family. This time, there were a couple of scout troops. I was surprised that I knew the troop leaders. My daughter was happy to have a lot of other kids to play with. This meant that the rest of us were able to take it easy. My son listened to music and my husband and I relaxed. We did manage to pull my daughter away from the other kids long enough to go fishing.

If you have an autistic child, don’t assume that camping isn’t for you. My son loves it. The key was to make sure he had a few of his favorite items. It’s also nice to get away from the house and just be out in nature. Now, we are planning a camping trip at the beach. I am really looking forward to it.

Wordless Wednesday Camping Fun

It's great to be back to doing Wordless Wednesday. I posted some pictures in the forum of our camping trip. Here are some more cute ones.

Camping With an Autistic Child

I intend to do a lot of camping with my kids once Spring arrives. I know, I have a little while before that comes. However, it is never too early to plan. Since I have never been camping with my autistic son, I asked for some advice regarding what I could do to make the experience the best it can be for him and us. One good thing is that my son loves being outside and looks forward to me taking him camping. Below are some quotes that I thought were helpful and two products that you might like. The hammock swing is something I will consider getting. I asked for the directions for putting it together and they seemed easy to follow. The feature that I like the most is the weight limit allows for both my son and me to sit in it together.

“I have a 13 year old son who we have camped within the past.
Necessities: His own tent and sleeping bag to use throughout the day as his go-to-place. We bring fav toys, fidgets and books. Our other must have item is a net hammock. We set this puppy up and he swings in it, as well as gets wrapped in a blanket and lays in it. (It’s a fav with ANY kid or adult!) Night time has never been an issue. He has his own flashlight and he loves to look at the stars. Plus, the camp fire is a big hit, too.

Using the restroom while camping might take some pre-planning, social story or something, depending upon the type of facility. That can be tough for anyone, never mind someone with sensory issues!”


Cheryl Bransford

“Really it all depends on the severity of the autism. Every one is different. But here are a few things I came up with related to our campers at Camp Caglewood.
1- Things to keep him/her busy – games, crafts, sports, etc… And pick a campground that offers many outdoor activities to keep your little camper busy and interested, hiking, playgrounds, and many things to see. But stay away from loud music or sounds and crowded places.
2- Again, crafts, games (horseshoes, Frisbee, balls, etc….), hammocks or hammock chairs are great, sidewalk chalk (if you will have concrete). Really anything that addresses hand eye coordination and sensory issues. Children with excess energy can find an outlet with outdoor toys such as bicycles or ride-on toys, swimming pools, climbing walls, or jungle gyms, rather than inappropriate behaviors. Anxious children can often be soothed by the motion of toys like rocking horses, sit-and-spin toys, swings and hammocks.
3- Remember that every autistic child is different, some are a lot more severe than others. Know the child’s comforts and know the things that make them uncomfortable, and just plan your trip accordingly. There are many small things that you can pack to keep your child engaged and happy.”

Jessica Jordan Freeman
Camp Caglewood
Co-Founder and VP of Programming
www.caglewood.org
"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." -W.C.

“1. What are some tips on making a camping trip better for a child with autism?
#1, it depends on what area of the spectrum they are on. some kids with autism need lots of structure, as you know. maybe have some schedules, not specific, but general ones with breakfast, activity, lunch, rest, activity, etc. you don't have to put on specifically what the plans are. it also depends on what they or if anything they are sensitive to. i would do some activities with more sensory integration. Get their whole bodies involved. simon says is a good game. (crawling, jumping-esp. in patterns, hopping-different ways, running-in all directions, wiggling, rolling, etc.), BUBBLES, having fun with food (have some good fun things if you'd like them...), sidewalk chalk, make homemade play dough and then use different things to play in it/draw on it with a non sharp pencil, puppets, PLAYING IN THE MUD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i have a whole book i can some ideas and email them to you...
2. What are some items that would be great to have on a camping trip for a child with autism?
sensory toys are GREAT!!! kush balls, stress balls, weird little water wormy toys, you can usually find some cool stuff at the dollar tree. i'd take bubbles. i kept stress balls and bubbles on me most of the time during the summer. this is also depending on their place on the spectrum... finger paint!!! little hand held fans, things that are bright. music would be good too!! just bring speakers and fun songs on your ipod/iphone...
3. Any other interesting tips or tricks?
once again, it depends on where they are on the spectrum... i have a book you should get 1001 great ideas for teaching and raising children with ASD by ellen notbolhm.
- A former Camp Caglewood boardmember/volunteer. She went on to be a Summer Camp Program Director for Talisman Programs. “

Hearth Song
Swing Seat with Tote

Available Styles
Cabana
Jardin

Size
Swing Measures 48" x 24" x 33"
Bottom Pillow measures 24" x 24"
Back Pillow measures 19" x 24"

The hammock includes storage bag, wood spreader bar, and a pamphlet with simple hanging instructions. The pamphlet tells how to hang the hammock, and it also has a listing of the hardware needed (sizes, etc.) which can be found at any local hardware store (or lowe’s, home depot, etc.) Weight limit is 350 pounds.



“FAIRYTALE WISHES, INC. MAKES DREAMS COME TRUE
FOR MOMPRENEUR OF TWO AND ANXIOUS CHILDREN NATIONWIDE

HIGHLAND PARK IL (JULY 2009) – Mompreneur Debbie Glickman spent restless
months searching for remedies to get her two young children to overcome
anxieties associated with going to sleep. She bought everything from books
to nightlights and even gave them warm milk at bedtime, but nothing worked.
Then, after reading all about the attributes of lavender as a soothing and
calming therapy, she came up with the idea of spraying lavender on their
pillows. “I told them a story of how the magical spray will make scary
thoughts go away, and it worked like a dream,” says Glickman, who is now
introducing her Sweet Dream Spray to help children fall asleep more easily.

In addition to Sweet Dream Spray, Glickman’s new company, Fairytale
Wishes, Inc. is unveiling a full line of naturally derived aromatherapy
sprays that are designed to alleviate common childhood anxieties including:
bad dreams and sleeplessness, fear of monsters under the bed, separation
and self esteem issues. There are currently four products in the line that
allow parents to help children naturally with the power of persuasion and
scent therapy, and Glickman has several more in the works.

Fairytale Wishes products make transitioning children through common phases
of childhood as painless as possible, and in the process may give them the
ability to learn how to conquer anything.
Each four-ounce bottle (MSRP $10.00) comes with a mini fairytale written by
Freddy, the magic Fairytale Wishes frog, which explains how a particular
scent can help children overcome their fear.“

The company sent me a bottle of the Happy Camper Spray to try. It is a sweet smelling scent and I can see my daughter using it on a camping trip. However, I only recommend using it if is a family camping trip and no one has allergic reactions to scents. I do and so does my son, so that means that my daughter can only use it on her pillow at home.

Spider Sniffing

I made it back from my Girl Scout Outdoor Training in one piece. I’m tired and sore. I learned a lot of great things. I learned that I am not camping without a cot. The ground is just too hard for these old bones. Wasn’t it softer when I was a kid?

I learned how to tie different knots, do a couple of nature arts and crafts, how to start a fire, set up and take down a tent, and, of course, spider sniffing. I arrived at camp early Saturday morning and it was non stop all day long. We cooked a great meal on the camp stove and made dessert in the fire.

The ladies doing the training with me were all really nice. We all worked together and had a great time sharing information and learning together. Soon, we got used to seeing spiders crawling on each other and brushing them off became automatic.

Saturday evening, after we ate and cleaned up, we all met around the big camp fire. We exchanged stories, sang songs and learned about spider sniffing. I must say, I was a little apprehensive when the trainers started taking us, one at a time, away from the group for “spider sniffing”. No one wanted to volunteer. I ended up going fifth. I wasn’t worried about it by that time. The other ladies seemed to have enjoyed it.

I started walking around with my “spider sniffing teacher” and she held the flashlight up against her the side of her face (level to her eye) and was shining it all around. She asked me if I could smell it. Of course, I didn’t smell anything. It was a joke, as I thought. What you are actually doing is looking at where the light is shining and trying to spot a small glimmer or glitter on the ground. When you spot one, you walk over to it, leaving the light on the spot, and when you get to it you should be able to see a little spider.

I so look forward to doing this with my daughter and the girls in my Girl Scout troop. Today went quick. We cooked and ate breakfast. Then we cleaned up and packed up everything. Down came the tent and we loaded all of our stuff into our vehicles. We had a hike and did our closing activities. That was it. I drove home and was excited and energetic when I walked through the door.

After telling my husband all about my weekend, I ate, and started to feel the affects of my camping experience. I woke up this morning before the sun came up because the ground was so hard. Saturday night, we all went to bed really late. As I started to wind down, soreness in every part of my body started settling in. My kids wanted to go to the park. Well, I found the energy, some how, for a short trip to the park. Then it was home, and I crashed. As I am writing this, I am contemplating going straight to bed and letting hubby take care of everything. Will I be camping again in the future? You bet I will. Only, next time, it will be with a cot and I will be setting the schedule.