Road Trip!

  When trying to figure out what to get 'J' for his birthday, we were kinda stumped. We really hated to just get another toy that would get tossed aside before you know it. And knowing that he would be getting a lot of new toys & play things from our family, we sealed the deal on "no toys". Then that brings us to clothes. He was pretty set in that department, aside from needing some little man undies soon (pretty sure this is gonna be a potty learning house in about a month! yikes!) Truth be told we would be fine not getting him anything at this young age, but as he gets older that wouldn't work as well.
Then one day back in April (yes, these are the things running through my head MONTHS before the event.) I saw a livingsocial deal for a Drive-thru Safari!! For $6/adult (and kids under 2 FREE) we would get to DRIVE THROUGH a safari of wild animals, feed them, observe them up close & enjoy a small walk-thru zoo! JACK-POT!!
Upon further investigation I discovered that this safari was only 20 minutes from a Great Wolf Lodge! Decision made: for his birthday we would take him on an Adventure :) My sister & niece decided to meet us there to join in the fun. So Friday morning we hopped in our already packed car & hit the road.

Little 'A' did really great in the car. It was about 2 hours to the Safari & he slept for half, then was content up until about the last 30 mins.

Dun Dun Dunnn...

We all jumped in one car & prepared ourselves for a Wild Adventure!

When they said "up-close" they meant "in your car"!!

 This Bison was determined to get a snack, even if that meant coming in the car & getting it himself! We were all a little nervous, excited & laughing at the same time.

 Yakkaty Yak, Don't talk back...

Since you can drive through as much as you like, we decided to hop in the car for one more trip before heading to the waterpark.

 Safari Girl & Boy, on the hunt for "aminals"

 What you can't see, is that little 'A' & I are about 2-3" below this Giraffe tongue!! What a way to end our Safari Adventure :) 

 Before we hit the hay we were treated 

to a Bed Time Story in the lobby

 'A' was lucky enough to pick up a new Alligator to 

add to his cuddle collection

As you can see, we were a bit worn out from non-stop Fun & Adventure!

We had so much fun! It was our first trip as a Family of FOUR & it was a success. We will definitely do this again, & I see Birthday Adventures becoming a new family tradition in this house :) Instead of a soon-to-be forgotten toy, how about a never-forget family trip? Yes, please~

Camping Out, a look inside the tent~

The invites went out, the guests arrived, the party was a hit!

Now here's a closer look at all the little details, the behind the scenes of Camp Jammer. I should mention that we didn't have a big budget for this shindig, but we always enjoy making, thifting, recycling whatever we can so the $0 small budget wasn't really a concern. The majority of the money was spent on food, as is usually the case. Speaking of food...

Mini bags of Better Made Chips proudly on display
(It's a Michigan "thing")

S'more Trail Mix Party Favors!
{Honey Graham cereal, mini marshmallows & chocolate chunks}

"Puffed" Pop Corn Movie Treats
"Camp Jammers' wants to Thank You for 'poppin' over"

Oh yes, a baking combination that is S'MORE right than you know!

And here's how you make it!

I made Old-Fashioned REAL lemonade
& pre-filled Mason Jars ready for the taking.
We also offered Water & a cooler full of Beer. 

-Roll cutlery in a napkin
-Take a plate
-Punch a hole in the side
-Attach napkin roll with ribbon
-Sit back & marvel at how smart people will think you are...

It wouldn't be REAL camping if Duct Tape wasn't involved somehow...

How could I NOT make this sign when I had giant
pieces of poster board lying around the house?!

Thread+needle+ballons=Easy Ballon Garland!

No Camp would be complete without a Swimmin' Hole

And don't forget about Arts & Crafts!
We prepped our collection of milk cartons with white spray paint,
cut a hole in the side, hot glued on popsicle stick shingles
& attached a twine loop to the top.
Then the kiddos got to paint their new bird house, it was a big hit!
We even included a bag of seed to take home :)

Sheet Fort:
Bags full of old sheets- check!
Rope & twine- check!
Ladder- check!
Clothespins- check!
Feeling like a kid again- Check!!

We topped of the festivities we a movie outside!
If you can get your hands on a white sheet
& a projector then you are good to go!

'J' even had his own little camping chair to sit in :)
And since it was HIS birthday we
watched his favorite movie, Cars

And last but not least, the Kiddie Camper Packs!

At "check-in" each Kiddie Camper recieved:
a personalized Camp shirt (tshirt was thrifted, then I jazzed them up)
a personalized water bottle (Michaels Crafts- $1)
a bubble wand/glow necklace for the older kids (Dollar Tree)
binoculars (Dollar Tree)
chalk (Target Dollar Spot)
snacks: AirHead, raisins, fruit snacks
Bandana (Handmade by my mum)

Here's what the back looked like:
"MALLOW out & have S'MORE fun!"
Camp Jammer, 2012

And there you have it. Well, you get the general idea at least.
We hope you enjoyed your stay at Camp Jammers, ya'll come back now ya hear!