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Had it with the “rat race”? Got time off but not much cash to spend? Are you losing touch with your family? It sounds like an old-fashioned campout is just what you need.

Camping is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and spend time getting reacquainted with your family. Great family camping getaways are easy to plan and inexpensive vacation options. Nature is everywhere, so you don’t need to travel far for your camping trip. You can journey to a national park, drive to a local campground, or pitch a tent in your backyard.

Camping 101 begins with the planning. This part of the trip is half the fun. Call a family meeting to decide where you’d like to go. Depending on your budget, you can plan to load up the trunk with tents and sleeping bags, pull a camper, or drive an RV. The point is to treat your family to an unforgettable outdoor adventure, so it doesn’t matter how you plan to camp or where you intend to go.

If you are new to the camping experience, it’s probably a good idea to start out slow. Book a weekend campsite to get a feel for the camping lifestyle. Get used to cooking over a wood fire and sharing your space with wildlife, before you venture too far away from the comforts of home. Many campgrounds provide fun activities like pools, playgrounds, fishing or recreational boating, so check your local listings to see what adventures lie ahead.

Once your kids (and you) recover from the shock of having no television or Internet access, you’ll all have an eye-opening experience. You’ll realize nature is fun. Camping opens the doors to a world of new activities, like swimming, rock diving, boating, fishing, hiking, catching butterflies, searching for fossils, and going wherever your energy level and imagination can take you. Campgrounds and remote parks are all filled with wonderful ways to enjoy the best nature has to offer. If you want to boat or water ski, many campsites offer these and other items for rent.

Don’t expect to bring along your everyday dinnerware and automatic coffeepot for your campout. Remember, you will be roughing it, so pack accordingly. Bring plastic dishes and cutlery that can be washed and reused, but won’t break in transit. Make sure you have enough sleeping bags, pillows, and extra clothes. Pack the food you’ll need, plus a little extra, and keep a supply of ice on hand for perishables like meat and dairy. If you’re bringing tins of beans, remember a manual can opener or pack your Swiss army knife. If you’re not sure what to bring, ask an associate at your local sporting store to help you choose your camping needs. Call on friends who like to camp, and ask them for advice
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Just like your old scoutmaster used to say, “Always be prepared”. Make a list and check it three times before you leave on your camping trip. Make sure that there is enough food and freshwater for everyone. Bring food that can be easily prepared on your campsite. Pack clothing for all kinds of weather. Don’t forget, sunscreen, bug spray, and hygiene items. Toilet paper and paper towels are absolute necessities. Bring along some soap and toothpaste, but leave the hair gel and makeup at home. Mother Nature doesn’t care what you look like. She just wants you to enjoy your stay.

Don't forget to call us to add towing to your car if it is out of warrenty at 480-391-3000. If you tow a trailer or carry a camper be sure you have full coverage on it before you head out. 

All of us at Neate Dupey Insurance Group hope you have a lot of fun should you take a trip!

If you're lucky enough to have a lawn with a good topsoil base, much of the hard work of keeping a lawn beautiful is already done for you. But many of us do not have this luxury, and besides, even with a good topsoil base, you still have to work hard to keep a beautiful lawn and garden.

1. The best time to mow a lawn is when it is cool and dry. Wait for the morning due to dry off, and before the afternoon heat takes hold. Alternatively, late afternoon or early evening following a watering in the morning is also a good time.

2. A hedge is a much better boundary divider than a fence. It will provide better privacy and keep pets and children in or out. It will attract birds to its shelter, and provide an excellent backdrop for plants and flowers.

3. Bring the beauty of your garden to you; plant hyacinths near walkways and doors. Their magnificent perfume will swamp the spring air and make your garden really come alive.

4. Add your garden to non-garden items, such a lamp post, and mailboxes. Surround these items with flowers planted to take advantage of the earliest to the latest flowerings. You could have white snowdrops, purple and gold crocus, blue hyacinths, and various colored tulips. You could also surround the posts with rocks to provide added interest.

5. Simple, but effective weed control can be achieved on your lawn by often mowing during spring. This will prevent dandelions spreading by eliminating the yellow blossoms and preventing seed formation. Mow high during late spring and early summer. This will allow grass blades to shade the ground and will help prevent crabgrass from sprouting.

Your lawn and garden should be a source of pride and beauty. You don't need to spend lots of money on expensive fertilizers and herbicides, or fancy lawn furniture and ornaments. A little common sense and thought can go a long way to making your lawn and garden a much better place.

As always, all of us at Neate Dupey Insurance Group thank you for your continuing business and please consider referring us to your family and friends!
 

Your vacation supplies must include a first-aid kit.

Have it available while traveling and take it with you whenever you go walking, hiking, or any activity that takes you away from civilization. You can use just about any type of container for your first-aid kit. It’s best if the container is lightweight, like plastic, and has a good lid. A handle can be useful also. A small toolbox, lunchbox, fishing tackle box or even kitchen Tupperware would work.
You should have some sterile gauze with adhesive tape and scissors to cut them. Make sure the scissors are sharp. Also multiple sizes of band-aids. Tip: Sanitary napkins are sterile and make good compresses to stop bleeding.
 

• To clean cuts and wounds include antibiotic cream, hydrogen peroxide and antiseptic wipes.

 

• Consider including aspirin and acetaminophen, instant cold packs, calamine lotion, and hydrocortisone cream.

 

• Antacid, insect repellent, motion sickness medication, anti-diarrhea medication, sunscreen, cold and flu tablets.

 

• If anyone is taking prescription medicine to be sure to bring enough for the whole trip.

 

• The first-aid kit is a good place to store a list of emergency numbers along with your medical insurance information.

 

• It’s always a good idea to have a first-aid manual on hand and review it before you leave. This way you will be much more prepared should a situation arise where you need it. This is an excellent opportunity for children to learn a little about first-aid so review the manual with them too.

 

• Other miscellaneous items that could be helpful are a thermometer, latex gloves, tweezers and flashlight with spare batteries.

 

• Keep your vacation first-aid kit easily accessible at all times but away from small children.

All of us at Neate Dupey Insurance Group wish you safe travels and please feel free to email or call us should you require any additional insurance for your trip.
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When it comes to cooking healthy meals for our families, there is always some degree of disagreement among the ranks. The good news is that there are recipes that are very healthy, but the healthy nature of these recipes is somewhat disguised. What they do not know in these instances truly should not bring harm their way (outside of allergies, which should never be ignored).

Healthy cooking is often difficult as most of us do not want to spend time planning and preparing meals that our families refuse to eat. At the same time, we want our families to be healthy, so we feel compelled to learn new and improved ways of cooking healthy foods for our family to enjoy

With weight and nutrition being known as the culprit in so many health conditions it is impossible to ignore the importance of not only eating healthy ourselves but also of teaching our children the importance of eating healthy. One way to ensure that your loved ones are eating healthy is to make sure that you are cooking healthy and nutritious foods for them.

Many books and magazines are filled with recipes that encourage healthy cooking and eating habits. If you truly love to cook, then there is no shortage of recipes that you can try out along the way. The really good news is that you can incorporate healthy cooking into your cooking routine whether you are cooking for one or a household of ten.

Many will argue that cooking healthy food costs more than cooking the prepackaged foods that pack on the calories and additives. The truth of the matter is that when you compare the costs with the medical bills of the future for failing to do so, they seem rather slight by comparison. Yes, good food costs more money. In many cases, that is a simple fact of life. However, by learning portion control and eating the proper portions, you may discover that you are spending less as you adjust to the proper amounts of food you should be consuming to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.
 
Cooking healthy isn’t an overnight change; it is a lifestyle change that should be implemented one step at a time. You do not have to go into your kitchen and throughout every little thing that you deem ‘unhealthy’ only work not to buy more of these items once they’ve been used. Make wiser decisions when purchasing fats for food preparation and you will discover that you’ve made a vitally important step in the process of incorporating healthy cooking and eating habits in your home.

It’s those small steps you take towards your goal of cooking healthy foods for your family that will matter far more than any giant leap. Before you know it, you will find that you all have more energy and a better sense of overall health than you would have imagined before changing your cooking habits.

All of us at Neate Dupey Insurance Group would like to wish you a happy and quite love(ly) Valentines Day!