Guest Post: Pineview Reservoir and Anderson Cove Campground

Recently we made the drive up north to Pineview Reservoir (right outside of Huntsville) for a family friend’s birthday.  I had been up to this reservoir many times growing up, but it was new to my husband and kids.  We drove through Weber Canyon and took a road through that cuts through the mountain called Trapper’s Loop. It is an absolutely beautiful drive.  

The campground our friends stayed at is called Anderson Cove.  It is a pretty standard campground with parking, picnic tables, a firepit and a few trees, as well as bathrooms stationed every 4 or 5 campsites.  There is a fee of $8 to get in, but the fee varies depending on if you are bringing a boat, how many days you are staying, etc.  It is only a 5 minute walk from the campground to the reservoir.  They have decently sandy beaches and a good amount of beach as well.  We were there on a weekend and there were a lot of people but enough room for even large groups to spread out.

Guest Post: American Fork Canyon: Granite Flats Campground

When I imagine going up the canyon, I think of narrow, winding roads with thick trees and brush all around.  I think of cozy little picnic spots nestled in the trees and a river or stream flowing nearby.  This is probably due to the fact that I grew up living within a short driving distance of American Fork Canyon.

Recently, my little family and I went up American Fork Canyon to spend the evening with my brother-in-law, his wife and two kids, as well as other extended family.  They were spending the night at the Granite Flats Campground, just a mile up the road from Tibble Fork Reservoir.  We had been invited to come up in the evening and cook tin foil dinners and roast marshmallows.  

Even though I have been to Tibble Fork many times, my family didn’t do a lot of camping growing up so I wasn’t familiar with the campground they were at, but as we drove to their reserved spot, I felt like it was exactly as a good campground should be.  The individual campsites were separated from each other by trees and bushes, so you didn’t feel like you were camping on top of someone else.  It gave a nice sense of privacy and made you feel like you were really camping outdoors.  There was a set of bathrooms for every four or five campsites, easily within walking distance, which is great if you have kids (and even if you don’t).

Since getting married a little over 7 years ago, my husband and I have gone up a lot of different canyons with friends and cooked tin foil dinners.  It is one of my favorite camping foods and so easy to prep and transport.  We always cook our tougher veggies, like carrots and potatoes, halfway before putting them with the meat (usually chicken or ground beef/turkey), since the meat always cooks faster than the rest.

Sauteed Onion Bean Dip

This oh-so-delicious bean dip is super easy and every single member of my family loves it! That's right--even the three-year-old.

Start with a layer of beans. I don't spray my pan because that makes it harder to spread the beans, but if you want to, it won't hurt.

All About Shani

**I'm so excited to introduce you to Shani Ogden! She is a good friend and a wonderful mom. She majored in Marriage and Family Studies in college, and will be staying in Utah when I move to Colorado so we can expect some wonderful and insightful guest posts from her in the near future. And you can rest assured, Utah will stay a featured state on Muddy Little Toes! -Becky

Hi!  My name is Shani and I am the mom to two beautiful kids (a girl and a boy) who I get to stay at home with.  They are both crazy, curious, happy kids and they keep me on my toes!  I am also married to the best husband in the world.  (Can a girl get any luckier?)  I love to read, craft, scrapbook, DIY, cook/bake, dance, laugh, take pictures and soak up the sunshine any chance I get.  I graduated in Marriage and Family Studies and love applying the things I learned in college to me and my family’s life. I love sharing and discussing new ideas and viewpoints and am fascinated by the way people think and their life experiences that got them to where they are now.  I am a self-proclaimed “ambivert” so while I enjoy getting out of the house and doing things with family and friends, I’m also perfectly content to read a book for hours alone (which with 2 kids pretty much never happens, but I can dream, right?).


Becky and I met when we were living in the same apartment complex in college.  We also dated the same guy, who neither of us ended up marrying, but we become good friends in the process and spent a lot of time together since we had the same group of friends.  One of my favorite things about Becky is that she cries pretty much every time she laughs!  We had some funny times in college when we would be laughing about something and Becky would be laughing and crying which caused the rest of us to laugh so hard we cried too.  She is an amazing person and one of the few people I’ve stayed in touch with through college, marriage and babies.

When Becky told me she was starting a blog, I got really excited and asked her if I could contribute. She didn’t hesitate to let me participate in her blogging journey, which I’m so grateful for.  I’ll be doing some guest posts for her here and there and hopefully I can share some fun ideas with you all as we get our toes a little muddy in this crazy thing we call life!

Helping Your Young Children Make Friends

It dawned on me about a year or so ago that my oldest (he was about one and a half at the time) was starting to be at an age when he really would benefit from having some friends. I hadn't gone out of my way to set up play dates or even take him places where there would be a lot of other children around. I blamed it on the fact that we moved around so much (nine times in four years).

I've also leaned on the "I'm shy" crutch for a lot of years, so I hadn't generally made a habit of making friends every time we moved. I'd mostly keep to myself or hang out with one or two other people who had moved with us (my husband did summer sales). But it was getting hard to deny that my son needed friends and that it was up to me to help him make that happen.

Take them where other children will be. A good way to start, I thought, was to take Lincoln (my son) to the playground or to a children's museum where he could run around and make friends. This was effective because, luckily, Lincoln is extremely friendly. He makes friends wherever he goes, as do most small children. They are amazing at making friends! It's like they have a little-person radar and they can seek out the children who are their own age and make immediate best friends with them everywhere they go.

Albion Meadows and Cecret Lake Trails

This one was a little out of the way for us, but it was well worth the trip! We drove up to Albion Basin in Alta, UT and did two trails in one day. It was intense, but absolutely beautiful and if I had the day to do again, I wouldn't have changed a thing. We did the Upper Albion Meadows Trail and the Cecret Lake Trail.

Location: Albion Basin in Alta, UT. Here are the directions from Provo, UT and here are the directions from Salt Lake City, UT.
Distance: Upper Albion Meadows Trail is 1.5 miles one way and Cecret Lake Trail is 1 mile one way. Here's a map of the trails!
Kid-Friendly: Yes
Toddler-Friendly: Yes
Baby-Friendly: Strap 'em on!
Special Notes: The end of the Cecret Lake Trail gets a little steep. Make sure you take the switchbacks! We accidentally followed another path and got stuck in a very precarious situation on the side of the mountain. But if you take the switchbacks, it is perfectly doable for little ones!

Free Things To Do With Kids: Visit the Capitol Building

This one is even educational, guys. I'm getting ambitious. Well, it wasn't that educational for my baby children, but it definitely could have been more educational if they were a bit older. Also, if I knew more about government...

Anyway, we actually don't live that close to our current state capitol. It's about an hour away, but Quinn (the hubby) had a massage appointment downtown so we drove him up and visited the capitol building while we waited! I don't know about your state capitol building, but the one in Salem, OR was gorgeous and so is the one here in Salt Lake City, UT! You can walk the grounds, go inside, and they even offer tours.

When we went, the place was crawling with tourists, so I got out my camera and became one of them! When in Rome, right? The boys had a lot of fun walking the grounds and looking at all the beautiful paintings. It was the perfect way to spend an hour, but we could easily have spent more time there.

How To Move Without Losing Your Mind (Especially With Kids)

Quinn (my husband) and I have moved nine times in our four years of marriage and we're about to make it ten, so moving is on my mind. We've learned a lot about how to move without going crazy because if we didn't, we would be crazy like 20% of the time. Every move we've made has been to a new city and most of them have been to new states. So our moves weren't even down-the-street type of moves. Not only that but this upcoming move will be the first for which we're renting a U-Haul truck. We usually just pack up our cars and go. So, needless to say, we've had to get pretty good at this. And pretty creative.

In the four years we've been married, we've also had two babies and they make moving even more interesting than it is to begin with. Children make moving a challenge, not just an annoyance. So here are some of the things we've learned from all of our moving adventures:

1. Set up your utilities two to three weeks ahead of time! People are always shocked by how early I take care of transferring/cancelling/starting utilities, but it makes such a big difference to do it early and most companies are just fine with you doing it within a month ahead of time. So, two or three weeks before we move, I cancel and start gas and electric. I then transfer or cancel/start internet and TV. I also make sure that if we need someone to come install anything, we make an appointment with them for the day after our move so we don't have to go too long without it. It's not necessary to have internet and TV right away, but it sure is nice. And if you wait until after you move, you might not get the help you need for several days.

Mt. Timpanogos Trail Falls

I'm super excited about this post because this hike is arguably my family's favorite Utah hike of all time. I know it's not the best hike in Utah, but there was something great about today. We had the perfect weather and this hike was the perfect length for our little family. That and Utah is so green this summer! It is blowing my mind and I'm loving it!

Anyway, I heard that you could hike up one mile on the Mt. Timpanogos trail and you would get to a waterfall. I figured it sounded like a good length and we love a good waterfall, so we set out this morning to try it. The hike was definitely a hike--not a stroll. It steadily climbed for a mile.

Location: Alpine Loop, right next to the Stewart Falls trail head. Coming from Provo or Orem, go up Provo Canyon, turn left when you see a sign for Sundance (after the tunnel), drive past Sundance and Aspen Grove and you will eventually reach a booth. Pay (or if it's closed, just drive past) and turn left immediately. This is the parking lot for both Stewart Falls and Mt. Timpanogos.
Cost: $6 in the summer. Some months of the year the booth is closed and it's free!
Distance: 2 miles round-trip
Kid-Friendly: Yes!
Toddler-Friendly: Yes! (depending on their mood, of course)
Baby-Friendly: Yes! Strap 'em on.
Stroller-Friendly: No

Saturday Stroll to Bridal Veil Falls

My kids needed to get some wiggles out before nap time on Saturday so went drove up Provo Canyon and took the trail to Bridal Veil Falls! This is a popular one, but there's a reason for that. It's gorgeous and just a short, shady walk. The trail is paved, so we brought our stroller just in case. And I'm glad we did because it was just me and the boys and I wasn't about to carry them!

Even if you don't live in Utah, picking a popular, paved trail like this is perfect for a quick trip, especially if it's just mom and the kids! I hesitate to do a lot of hikes with the boys alone for safety reasons, but a popular trail that's relatively safe is perfect when it's just me!

Location: 3 miles from the mouth of Provo Canyon on the right (same exit as Nunns Park)
Kid-Friendly: Yes!
Baby-Friendly: Yes!
Toddler-Friendly: Absolutely!
Stroller-Friendly: YES!
Distance: about .5 miles

Lost My Name Books

Guys, these books are ADORABLE!! My in-laws gave one to my son for his birthday this year and he loves it! I told him the story was about him and he got so excited! Now every time we go to read it, he tells me the book is about him. I also hope it helps him learn how to spell his name! (All he knows right now is that it starts with L.)

Basically, you go to www.lostmy.name and customize a book for your child (or grandchild or friend) and they create it instantly for you to preview. The story of the book is that the little girl or boy loses their name and then they go on an adventure to find all the letters of it. The pictures are so cute and the creatures the children meet on their adventures in these books are so fun and creative!

Starting From Scratch: How I Made Exercising a Part of My Daily Routine

 The hardest part of working out is getting in the habit. Good habits are so hard to form and so easy to break, but this is one that is worth the work. Stay tuned and I'll tell you my motivations for exercising in a later post! But for now, I want to focus on the how, because I think most people already have their why for this particular habit.
I'm not a sedentary person by any means, but when I'm pregnant or just had a baby, I tend to spend way more time resting and way less time exercising, if I spend any at all. And sometimes, I just get out of the habit of exercising regularly and get distracted by other things, pregnant or not. This particular time, I got out of the habit because of pregnancy and the aftermath of pregnancy: two babies. It had been over a year since I'd exercised regularly this time so I was really, really out of the habit. After months of thinking to myself, "Man, I really should be working out," or "I would really like to lose a few pounds," I finally got my butt off the couch and get some actual results--that stuck--by using these small tricks:

• Look good, feel good. This may seem shallow, but it's actually really important for me to feel cute when I'm working out. It makes me want to get up in the morning and put on my cute workout clothes and it makes me feel good about myself when I'm exercising. I know that by the time I'm done working out, I am no longer cute. But exercising in a baggy t-shirt and unflattering sweats doesn't make me feel great about the situation. This is obviously not a must, but it definitely helps me be motivated.
• What I Did: I had no cute workout clothes when I started. So, after about a month of regular exercise, I rewarded myself with some new clothes! Since we don't have a huge budget for that kind of thing, I shopped outlets and slowly built my exercise wardrobe over time.

Much More Than a Splash Pad in Springville, Utah

Guys, this little gem is such a fun place to take little kids! My sister-in-law introduced me to it and we've visited several times this summer already. It's relatively safe for small children. In fact, I let both my kids wander free and splash all up and down the river because I can see them anywhere they go and the water is never too deep.

Cost: FREE
Location: 110 South Main Street, Springville, UT
Toddler-Friendly: YES!!
Baby-Friendly: Absolutely!

Seriously, this splash pad is epic and totally free! It's basically got a very shallow winding river-like pool with fountains of water spraying up all the way through. There's also your traditional circular splash pad at the end of the river, if that's what you're into. My kids and nieces and nephew LOVE this splash pad and so do I! It provides much more entertainment than your typical splash pad and it's absolutely beautiful to boot. There are statues of children playing all along the shallow river, very fitting for the Art City. And there's even a very nice playground near the splash pad for added fun and entertainment for the kids!

How to Get Your Husband (Or Wife) Out of the House

photo credit to Rachel Dunston

My friend suggested I write about this, which was most likely a joke. But it has legit been a struggle for us and I have, in fact, figured out many ways in which to get my husband out of the house, so to speak. So I'm going to impart my pearls of wisdom. 

You see, my husband, Quinn, is what you might call indoorsy (as Jim Gaffigan would say). Quinn will tell you so himself. For some reason, I went through most of my life believing that people were basically the same in many ways, which I guess they are. But not in this way. There are plenty of people out there who are 100% content to stay at home most of the time. Strange I didn't notice this before I was married because some of my very best friends and close relatives are self-declared homebodies. But there it is. Some people (my husband included) would prefer to stay home. Don't get me wrong--if there's a softball league you want him to be a part of or you need him for a pick up game of basketball, he's there in a heartbeat. It's just everything else that he doesn't get too excited about. He hates (or at least hated) hiking and if he has some spare time, he usually gets comfy on the couch and plays FIFA on the Xbox or turns on an episode of Battle Bots (nerd alert).

Riverfront City Park in Salem, Oregon

Here's another wonderful and amazing park in Oregon! They have so many! The Riverfront City Park was one of my absolute favorite places to go with my kids when we lived in Salem last summer. It is so amazing for children and they have summer events all the time.

What makes this park different from others is the RIVERFRONT CAROUSEL right at the entrance to the park. I have never seen a cuter carousel and it is run and maintained mostly by volunteers! It is absolutely beautiful and a ride is only $1.50 per person. I was able to go with my baby for the cost of one person. If you want to frequent the carousel, they also offer passes that will save you a little bit of cash over time. You can often find cotton candy and snow cone vendors here, and there is even a room for hosting birthday parties!

Besides the carousel, this park (as you may have gathered from the name) is located right on the Willamette River and The Willamette Queen takes off from the park. This is a cute sternwheeler that offers dinner-and-a-show boat tours. We never tried this, but if we'd stayed longer, we would have. It is adorable! They even host weddings and other events.

There is also a SPLASH PAD and a sizable PLAYGROUND for the kiddos. Besides that, it is a huge, gorgeous park with walking paths throughout for exploring. We visited the Riverfront City Park all the time when we lived in Salem, but if you don't live close, it would still be a fun place to visit for a day, especially since they host fairs and festivals all the time!

What are your favorite things to do at the Salem Riverfront City Park?

4 Valuable Skills for Safe Ocean Swimming

My husband and I did a lot of swimming in the ocean growing up and there's nothing like it. I love it so much because you really feel like you're a part of a huge and powerful force of nature. But being in such a large body of water can be more dangerous than you might think. Here are four tips that will give you more peace of mind swimming in the ocean and taking your children to swim in the ocean. In my opinion, nobody should venture into the ocean without mastering these skills.

1. How to Get Out of Rip Currents (aka Rip Tides)

• Rip currents, or rip tides, can be found in any large body of water and they are responsible for many deaths every year. They usually occur near large structures like piers and jetties, but they can also occur when there is a drop or hole in the ocean floor. 
• They have a strong pull and can be very scary, especially for children. The most important thing to remember if you find yourself caught in a rip tide is to STAY CALM.
• Making children aware of rip tides will help prepare them if they are ever caught in one and they will be able to recognize what is going on and be less likely to panic.
• The way to GET OUT OF A RIP TIDE is to SWIM PARALLEL TO THE SHORE until you are out of the rip tide and then swim straight to shore. If you get tired while you're swimming, try to float, but still attempt to go parallel to the shore.
• If you find that you can't get out of the rip tide by swimming parallel to the shore, wave your arms and get the attention of a lifeguard as soon as you can, but remember not to panic!
• Getting out of a rip tide is really quite simple and nothing to be afraid of if you're prepared for it, but you should still avoid them. Stay at least 100 feet away from large structures in the water.

Get Out Of the House Without Breaking the Bank: 10 Free Or Cheap Activities For Little Ones

As you all know, I love to get out of the house. I have to do it at least once a day or my crew (my two screaming toddlers) and I get a little grouchy. If I were rich, this would be easier because I would just go shopping or to Disneyland half the time. But I am not. So I get creative. There are actually hundreds of things to do with your little ones outside of the home, but for some reason, it can be hard to think of them sometimes. So I've compiled a list for you so you don't have to do the thinking. Just the doing. And for me, figuring out what we're going to do is half the battle of getting out of the house.

 1. Kids Summer Movies and Dollar Theaters

• Many theaters offer cheap movies for kids during the summer. For example, these Kids Summer Movies at the Larry H. Miller Mexaplex in Vineyard, UT. They are usually older movies and the showtimes are during the day, but the kids will love getting out of the house and going to the big theater to see a movie.
• Usually I would say keep the babies at home if you're going to a movie, but these are perfect for bringing little ones. Most people will understand if a child starts screaming and needs to be taken out. It won't be the end of the world.
• Dollar theaters (or just cheaper theaters) will offer slightly older movies at a much cheaper price. For example, Movies 8 in Provo, UT (which has $1 Tuesdays) and Water Gardens Theaters in Pleasant Grove, UT and Spanish Fork, UT (where popcorn and drinks start at $1!).

Peaches and Cream Spice Smoothie

If you're anything like me, you like a little bit of spicy with your sweet. You also like a little bit of healthy with your treat. This smoothie is the perfect combination of sweet, spicy, healthy, and delicious! My kids love it and--BONUS--I do too! (And I'm more of a shake person than a smoothie person.) Smoothies are the perfect quick and easy meal and they are always a hit with the kids! (Scroll down and click "Read more" for the recipe!)

Minto-Brown Island Park in Salem, Oregon

Minto-Brown Park is one of the most beautiful parks that I've ever seen right in the middle of a big city. It is over 1200 acres and has the signature Oregon green that I miss and love so much! It is right next to the Willamette River and has a paved trail that winds through and loops around the park. It is perfect for a walk with the stroller, or just the kids if they're confident walkers. It is also perfect for bike rides and running. I was amazed that such a gorgeous park was so close to where we lived in Salem.

The reason it hasn't been developed is that it still experiences periodic flooding, and I think that might just be a blessing in disguise because it is gorgeous! Not only that, but it's huge so exploring is super fun and doable without travelling too far. It even has a playground and dog park!

The Perks of Minto-Brown Park:
- paved walking/biking/jogging trail
- dog park
- playground
- on the Willamette River
- picnic tables and benches
- reservable shelter with BBQ
- it's HUGE (over 1200 acres)
- it's beautiful, shady, and green

This is a must if you're anywhere near Salem, OR! One word of advice, though: take a look at a map before you venture out. It's huge and not too hard to get lost.

Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point

Thanksgiving Point is one of my favorite places to take the kids and of all the fun things there are to do there, Farm Country is the absolutely best thing to do with toddlers and babies!

Cost: $7 for adults and children 3 and up, FREE for Thanksgiving Point Members, $3.50 for guests of members
Stroller Friendly: Yes
Pony Rides: FREE with admission, $2 for additional rides
Wagon Ride: FREE with admission
Tales for Tots: FREE with admission, Wednesdays at 11 am
Hours: 10 am - 5 pm, (open until 8 pm in the summer)
Location: 3003 N. Thanksgiving Way, Lehi, UT 84043

Utah Hikes: The Payson Grotto

Distance: 0.6 miles round-trip

Difficulty: Easy (with log bridges all along the way)

Kid-Friendly: Yes!

Toddler-Friendly: Yes!

Baby-Friendly: Yes!

Stroller-Friendly: No

Since doing this short hike, I've had several friends and family do it as well because it's perfect for doing with little ones, but it's also fun for the adults. We loved it so much that we did it twice in one month. The first time we went, it was perfect mild weather, and the second time, we got rained on a little. In our opinion, the drizzle made it even better. There's nothing better than the clean smell of rain out in nature. But, even if you go on a hot day, there is plenty of shade to keep you cool and you're by a stream nearly the whole time. This little hike is up Payson Canyon and it right off the road. You can park across the street from the trail head or if you're a rebel like us, you can park right next to it (not sure if you're supposed to). There's a clear sign for the trail head and you can actually just type in "Payson Grotto" in Google maps and it will find it for you. Or you can go here for more detailed directions.

One Day At Disneyland: Baby Style

Most people believe that the only way to experience Disneyland is to go for at least a few days. Okay, but what if you can't afford to go for that many days? We can't even afford to go for one day. We are so incredibly lucky and have friends who work at Disneyland who are willing to bring us as their guests about once a year. We get hopper passes for one day when we go, so we have to get the most out of both parks in just one day. You could go for a week and probably still have more to explore, but a day is enough if a day is all you have. AND it's still worth the trip if you have babies in tow. We went to Disneyland with a two-month-old and a 20-month-old and it was a blast! There are some tricks that will make it ten times easier, and lucky you, here they are:

Utah Hikes: Battle Creek Falls

Battle Creek Falls is one of the best hikes to do with kids in Utah County! It is located in Pleasant Grove and you can park right next to the trail head because it's just right of Kiwanis Park. The entire hike will take about an hour, depending on how much you like to sitesee and how fast you are.

Distance: 1.2 miles round-trip

Difficulty: Easy (with a steeper section at the end)

Kid-Friendly: Yes!

Toddler-Friendly: Yes!

Baby-Friendly: Yes!

Stroller-Friendly: No

We did this hike one morning before my husband went to work. We were definitely not alone on the hike, but it didn't feel crowded at all, either. The beginning of the trail is much like the first picture: very flat and rocky. My three-year-old did the whole hike by himself, but the rocks were a bit much for my 18-month-old and we carried him for most of it.

Welcome to Muddy Little Toes

my kids cry sometimes 

My name is Becky and I love writing, adventuring, and being a mom. For a long time, I struggled with being a stay-at-home mom because I didn't think it was for me, even though I felt strongly that the home was where I needed to be. Perhaps the term "stay-at-home" was tricking me into thinking I had to stay at home to be a good mom, but what I've come to learn over my short three years of mothering is that I don't have to stay at home at all.

I love to be outdoors, try new things, and exercise (even just walking). When I had an office job, I would long to be outside for hours at a time, wishing I could be by the pool or on a hike or even just on a road trip. What I didn't realize when I became a stay-at-home mom (if that's what we have to call it), was that I actually had the freedom to do all of those things! Yes, I would have to take my kids with me, but it turns out, they only make things better.

Don't get me wrong, being a stay-at-home parent is not easy. It doesn't mean laying out by the pool and doing whatever you want. In fact, when I go to the pool, most of my time is spent monitoring my fearless 18-month-old so that he doesn't jump in the deep end and making sure my three-year-old is being nice to the other kids. I always end up way more exhausted than when I got there. But! I'm still at the pool. I'm still outside. And that is what I love about being a "stay-at-home" mom. I don't have to stay at home (unless it's naptime--then it's lockdown--for real). Plus, bonus! When we get out of the house, the littles go to sleep faster and sleep better because they've been using up all that energy during the day.

Because I have such an itch to be out and about, I am constantly trying to find fun things for me and my kids to do. It can be tricky, especially when you move to a new place or you've done everything (or so you think) already where you live. My best resource has been other people's posts about things that they do and so I thought I could be helpful and post the things that we do.

When you're not a homebody but you are a stay-at-home parent, the struggle is real. Even if you work, time at home with the kids can drag if you don't have activities to do every once in a while. So follow along on our adventures and let me help you get your little ones a little more muddy!