MOM Tried And Tested

  • The Camping Trip That Started It All

    How one Fourth of July weekend in 2011 became the beginning of our family’s greatest adventure.

    “Sometimes the best family traditions begin long before you realize you’re creating them.”

    📖 Memory Box

    Date: Fourth of July Weekend, 2011

    Location: Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

    Family: Mom, Dad, two little boys (ages 2 and 6)

    Camping Style: 4-Person Tent

    Weather: Three-hour hailstorm, then sunshine

    Favorite Memory: Our very first campfire and s’mores

    Biggest Lesson: Always know if your campsite has electricity!

    Would We Go Back? Absolutely. This trip started over a decade of family adventures.

    Before There Was an RV…

    Caption: Practicing how to set up our very first tent inside our tiny two-bedroom apartment. We didn’t have a backyard, so our living room became our first campground.

    Long before we owned an RV…

    Long before we knew what a campsite reservation was…

    Long before campfire traditions and hiking trails became part of our family…

    There was a tiny two-bedroom apartment, a brand-new four-person tent, and two little boys who thought camping in the living room was the greatest adventure ever.

    We had never camped before.

    We didn’t own camping gear.

    We didn’t know what we were doing.

    But we were excited.

    Looking back now, I smile at this picture because none of us knew that this little tent would become the beginning of a family tradition that would last for more than a decade.

    The Plan

    Our first camping trip was scheduled for the Fourth of July weekend in 2010.

    Simple enough…

    Pack the tent.

    Pack some food.

    Drive to a campground.

    Spend the weekend camping.

    At least, that’s what we thought.

    Then we discovered something every Midwestern camper already knew…

    Holiday weekends are booked months in advance.

    Not weeks.

    Months!

    By the time we decided to go camping, nearly every campground was full.

    Determined not to give up, we found a first-come, first-served campground at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

    Perfect!

    Or so we thought.

    Caption: Our first family camping trip. We were excited, optimistic... and completely unaware of what awaited us.
    Caption: Our first family camping trip. We were excited, optimistic… and completely unaware of what awaited us.

    Lesson #1: Know What “Rustic” Means

    What we didn’t realize was that we’d booked a rustic campground.

    Back then, we had no idea what “non-modern” meant.

    We assumed every campground had electricity.

    Water hookups.

    Convenient amenities.

    Instead…

    We had none of those things.

    We wouldn’t fully realize that until later.

    Three Hours…Waiting

    We arrived shortly after lunch, eager to begin our adventure.

    Then the sky turned dark.

    A hailstorm rolled in.

    For nearly three hours, we sat inside our Honda Pilot watching hail pound the campground.

    Our camping trip hadn’t even started.

    The boys waited patiently.

    We waited hopefully.

    Around six o’clock in the evening, the storm finally passed.

    Only then could we begin setting up camp.

    Caption: Finally setting up camp after waiting out a three-hour hailstorm. Our creative solution for keeping mosquitoes away during dinner. Looking back, I think we were pretty resourceful!

    Our Luxury Campsite

    Our campsite wasn’t exactly Pinterest-worthy.

    We had:

    • One tiny four-person tent.
    • A beach umbrella.
    • A mosquito net.
    • Air mattresses.
    • A whole lot of enthusiasm.

    That was it.

    The Air Mattress Disaster

    We proudly unpacked our air mattresses.

    Then reality hit.

    There was…

    No electricity.

    “No problem,” we thought.

    “We’ll plug the air pump into the car.”

    Unfortunately…

    Our SUV battery wasn’t strong enough.

    Our comfortable night’s sleep quickly turned into slightly inflated air mattresses.

    Our first camping lesson had officially been learned.

    Then Something Wonderful Happened

    Dinner was finally ready.

    The campfire crackled.

    The marshmallows toasted.

    And suddenly…

    None of the day’s problems mattered anymore.

    Caption: Our very first campfire. Every camping tradition starts somewhere.

    “Mom…We Go Home.”

    Our youngest son was only two years old.

    As bedtime arrived, he quietly told us he wanted to go home and sleep in his own bed.

    Honestly…

    After everything we’d been through that day, I almost wanted to go home too.

    But after a little comforting, he eventually fell asleep.

    So did we.

    A Brand-New Day

    The next morning couldn’t have been more different.

    Blue skies.

    Warm sunshine.

    Lake Michigan stretching as far as we could see.

    The boys forgot all about yesterday.

    So did we.

    Caption: Heading to the beach with all the essentials… and more excitement than experience.
    Caption: Watching childhood unfold one sandy hill at a time.
    Caption: The little boy who wanted to go home the night before was now completely in his happy place.

    We climbed the dunes.

    Played in the sand.

    Fed potato chips to the seagulls…

    (Yes…we later learned that wasn’t a good idea!)

    Every first camping trip comes with a few lessons.

    Caption: Dad was a very good sport.

    My Favorite Picture

    This photo perfectly captures the moment.

    No one was thinking about the hailstorm anymore.

    Or the flat air mattress.

    Or the mosquitoes.

    We were laughing.

    Camping has a funny way of doing that.

    Looking back, I realize something.

    My boys probably won’t remember whether our campground had electricity.

    They won’t remember how uncomfortable the air mattresses were.

    They’ll remember how they felt.

    Safe.

    Loved.

    Free to run.

    Free to play.

    Together.

    And isn’t that what family adventures are really about?

    Looking Back Fifteen Years Later

    I still remember telling my husband,

    “This camping trip will decide whether we hate camping or love it.”

    If we hated it…

    This would be our first and last camping trip.

    After all, what inexperienced camper could survive a fully booked holiday weekend, a three-hour hailstorm, a rustic campground with no electricity, flat air mattresses, mosquitoes, and a homesick toddler?

    Apparently…

    Us.

    Because despite everything that went wrong, something much bigger went right.

    That little four-person tent became the beginning of over a decade of camping adventures.

    We’ve camped in tents.

    We’ve explored beautiful state parks.

    We’ve watched our boys grow from toddlers into young men around countless campfires.

    And today, we’ve started a new chapter with our travel trailer.

    But no matter where we camp…

    This little trip to Indiana Dunes will always be the one that started it all.

    Mom Tried & Tested: Lessons from Our First Camping Trip

    ❤️ Book holiday campsites months in advance.

    ❤️ Learn the difference between modern and rustic campgrounds.

    ❤️ Always know how you’ll inflate your air mattress.

    ❤️ Don’t feed the seagulls.

    ❤️ Expect something to go wrong.

    ❤️ Those unexpected moments often become your favorite memories.

    ❤️ You don’t need the perfect gear to build unforgettable family traditions.

    Welcome to Our Camping Journey

    If you’re new here, welcome to Mom Tried and Tested.

    This blog isn’t about having the newest gear or the fanciest campsite.

    It’s about creating memories, learning through experience (sometimes the hard way!), and proving that the best family adventures don’t have to be perfect to be unforgettable.

    I’m so glad you’re here, and I hope our stories inspire you to start—or continue—your own family adventures.

    See you around the campfire.

    — Maryset

    A Letter to My Boys

    If you're reading this-years from now, maybe with children of your own, I hope you remember this weekend.
    I hope you remember more than the hailstorm, the mosquitoes, or the flat air mattresses.
    I hope you remember how excited you were to sleep in a tent.
    How you ran barefoot across the dunes.
    How marshmallows somehow tasted better over a campfire.
    How our little family was simply happy being together.
    One day, I hope you'll pitch a tent or park an RV with your own family and create memories that your children will tell their children.
    Because that's how traditions live on—not through perfect vacations, but through ordinary weekends shared with the people we love.

    Love, Mom

  • MOM TRIED: Color Changing Cup

    MOM TRIED and still testing… the Teckwrap Color Changing Vinyl and Holographic Vinyl. For a more fun summer cup, i added a little magical pizzaz!

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  • Tried: Mystery Shopping

    Stamp TriedAs a Stay-At Home Mom, I have been looking for ways to earn extra money.  I have been seeing advertisements to become Mystery Shopper but at same time seeing scam alerts from the same industry.

    Researching further, I have stumbled upon some websites that doesn’t seem shady because they don’t ask for any payments to become a member of their mystery shoppers. So I tried…..

    A couple of months being a member, not too many shops come close to my category (age or gender-wise).  I even sent an email to the company asking for shop job within my age limit.  Until this last 2 weeks…

    So came a shop-job (or just “shop”) to evaluate a certain brand of smartphone to a certain carrier.  I was still doubting the legitimacy of the job (or the payment) but I tried….  And what do you know… there really is an industry of non-scamming Mystery Shopping.  I shopped, I answered the questionnaire, I got paid!

    It’s not that big for an income, but at least earning a few bucks on spare (spare) time is not bad at all.

    And fun too!Image

    Clip Art from Windows

  • Tested: Blonde Apple Brownie

    Stamp TestedHave you ever had a problem feeding your kids fruits and vegetables?

    Well I do.  At least one of my two boys.  The younger one pretty much is a healthy eater.  When he gets hungry, he grabs an apple or a banana or even finish half a pound of fresh strawberries.  However, my older boy is very picky and eats selective fruits and vegetables.  So since he was a toddler I would sneak in pureed vegetables or fruits in his food.  I even bought J. Seinfeld’s book Deceptively Delicious (this book will be another blog to discuss) to get some recipes.  Now that he is considered a “big kid” he still loves his breads, muffins and pancakes so I always find recipes that I can incorporate fresh fruits.

    This recipe Apple Brownies from AllRecipes.com instantly became a favorite!

    My changes from the original:

    Just cut the sugar to 1/2 cup; it is sweet enough especially if you plan on using the sweet variety of apples. My family does not like cinnamon flavor too much so I cut back to 1/2 teaspoon.

    All in all this recipe is one of those that you can never go wrong on the first try.

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  • Hiking and Beach Time!

    Stamp T+TI have placed the bike in the garage for today and we hit the beach!

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    And tried and successfully climbed the dunes in Indiana!

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    And had a little visit with the “locals”.

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    Photos credits:  Fiona, Bernard

  • Bike Obsessed: Gel Seats

    Stamp Tried

     

     

     

    OK.   For the people who have read my previous posts:  https://momtriedandtested.com/2014/05/18/bike-riding-mission/ and https://momtriedandtested.com/2014/05/19/bike-riding-mission-accomplished/  will know that I have just started to experience the joys of riding a bike.

    Well the part that I just also learned about is that not all bike seats are made equal or COMFORTABLE!

    In the first day that I tried to learn the art of riding a bike, I also learned that it was a “pain in the butt” — literally!

    So, I shopped for a new gel seat cover…

    I found one at Walmart for $16.95

    Image  which was great.  I was able to test ride it around a few minutes then it started to rain 😦

    The next day, I went to Aldi and lo and behold saw this bike gel seat cover and is ONLY $6.99!  One piece left!

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    I was a bit skeptical for the quality because of it’s price. But needless to say being a frugal MOM, I have to try it!.  To my surprise, the cheaper gel seat is much more comfortable and better cushy for my tushy.

    Definitely will be making a return to Walmart!.  Aldi as always, surprise me.  🙂

    #NewComfort #NewGelSeats

  • Spring Pork Loin in Cream of Mushroom

     

     

    As usual, dinner in our house is (almost) always unplanned.  So I looked in our fridge and see what ingredients I can use to experiment and here is what I came up with.

    Ingredients:       1.5 lbs pork loin cut into 1″ strips

    2 tbsp soy sauce or fish sauce

    5 oz green onion, chopped

    1 medium red bell pepper, strips

    8 oz mushroom, sliced

    1 small onion, chopped

    1 tsp garlic, chopped

    1 tbsp virgin olive oil

    1 can cream of mushroom + one can water

    Salt and pepper

    Procedure:         In a medium bowl, marinate the pork loin in soy sauce or fish sauce then keep in the fridge for an hour. In a large pan, heat oil then saute garlic until slightly brown, add onion next until caramelized, set aside.  In the same pan, brown the pork, then add back the garlic and onion. Add a little water until pork is tender, simmer.  Next add the rest of the ingredients ( mushroom, bell pepper, green onion, cream of mushroom and 1 can water).  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Do not overcook the vegetables.  Done!

    Image  If you’re going to be brave enough to test this recipe, please return for a comment, suggestion and/or kind criticism.  Also, this is my first time to write a recipe – I am also open for any suggestion about that.

     

    Have the BEST Day!

    #FirstRecipe

  • Bike Riding Mission – Accomplished!

    This is my first time to try out riding a bike.
    I guess literally dreaming about how to do it the night before helped a lot!

    After a few more practice turning, especially smaller and sharper turn and getting my own helmet and seat pads I will be trying the bike paths in my town!

    #NewFreedom 🙂

  • Bike Riding Mission

    Have you heard of a 38 year old woman to learn to ride a bike for the first time?

    Well, that will be me!  Yes.  Unfortunately, I learned how to drive first before learning how to ride a bike.  My older son beat me to it but I will try my best to learn how to bike before my youngest learn how to!

    Image I bought it on sale price $79.99 from Walmart and my husband assembled it for me.

    Tomorrow I will muster all courage I can find… and with heavy body padding, I will try to learn!

    Wish me luck!  Will keep you posted. 🙂

  • Baked Flounder

     

    baked_flounder

    Tonight’s dinner is unplanned.

    My husband and I are going back and forth whether to eat out or not .  I got tired and then made a quick decision to thaw frozen flounder fillets…. not a very good idea (i guess).  The original recipe I tried is entitled CRUNCHY BAKED FLOUNDER found here, but our dinner was not.  But the taste was great although did not turn out crunchy…

    To clarify, this is the first time I TRIED flounder.  I like fish but hate the salt water fish taste, if you can ‘catch’ what I mean… I usually stick to fresh water fish like tilapia and milk fish or those farm raised salmon.

    Original recipe CRUNCHY BAKED FLOUNDER

    Ingredients: 1/2 cup panko, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 3 tablespoons unsalted melted butter, 4 flounder fillets (1 1/2 lb.), Salt and pepper

    Preparation: Preheat oven to 425°F. Mist bottom of a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Combine panko, Parmesan and butter in a small bowl and stir mixture well.  Sprinkle both sides of flounder generously with salt and pepper. Arrange fish in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle panko-Parmesan mixture over fish. Bake until fish is cooked through and crumbs are golden, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

    My revision:  Instead of melted butter I coated the flounder fillet with olive oil mayonnaise.  Sprinkled with the mixture of panko, grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.  I baked it at the same 425°F for 20 minutes and still had to broil high for 2 minutes.

    This was the easiest $7 dinner for a family of 4!

    And to think we were planning to eat out and could have easily spent $30.   🙂