What's in my Diaper Bag?!

Kavu Rope Bag

Welcome to another edition of, What's in my bag?!

Currently, I'm carrying the Kavu Rope Bag as a diaper bag and I love it! It's not a diaper bag and doesn't look like one but it's versatile. It holds all I need for daily outings for my 2 kids. If I am going out of town or on a long roadtrip, then I bring my bigger diaper bag which holds more items. This one is perfect because I slings from the back to the front with ease and I can use it as a fanny pack then. Reaching for things in my bag is so much easier now because of that! Watch the rest of "What's in my diaper bag?!" on my YouTube channel - MamaSue Plus Two

Sassy Bey!

This little girl amazes me every day! She is starting to pick up on talking - not real talk yet but just a bunch of cute jibberish. Her Summer outfits are rad and she has Mama to thank for styling her and Daddy for paying for it. LOL!!! She is not so girly though - thanks to her older brother! She loves her crocs and refuses to wear anything else. She does not care for pretty shoes, heels, or flashy things. He hates tops with spaghetti straps or halter tops and she won't let anyone put anything on her head except for a baseball cap. She's my sassy Bey and I love her so much!

Milwaukee Zoo

Riding the Safari Train at the Milwaukee Zoo

This year is our 2nd year going to the Milwaukee Zoo we were hoping for a smoother time there than last year. Last year, Anakin had just turned 2 years old and boy was he terrible! He had no patience to wait in line for the train and when our turn had ended, he did not want to get off. He threw a major tantrum and screamed so loud that I'm sure everyone on the far side of the zoo heard. Well, this year he understands the concept of waiting for your turn (thanks to waiting in lines for the trains at Bay Beach) and getting off the train when your turn has ended. He was really good about everything! The only thing was that we had a funeral to attend that morning too so he was really pooped out from everything and by the time we got to seeing some animals, I could tell he had no energy to really hold his attention any longer. We will continue to make this an annual trip and the only thing changing next year is that he will no longer be free. *insert sad face here*

You can see more of the Milwaukee Zoo footage on my YouTube channel - MamaSue Plus Two

The North Face Kaiju 6 Tent Review

The North Face Kaiju 6 tent

So, a couple of months ago I posted about this tent that we purchased, The North Face Kaiju 6 person tent. We were finally able to use it on our first camping trip of the Summer and here are my thoughts on it.

The first night we camped, it stormed on us and the next morning when I woke, I saw a puddle of rain on the rainfly directly above where I was sleeping (see video below). I thought, "Oh crap! I paid a shit load of money for this tent and it did not even hold up!" Well... it turns out that my husband did not guy out the rainfly according to instructions and he actually didn't guy out the sides at all- leaving it loose. That's why there was a puddle. The next night, he did guy out the rainfly correctly but since it did not rain, I didn't have a chance to see if that helped or not.

It's pretty easy to set up for a traditional tent but when you're in a rush because of the bad weather, it could get frustrating!

This tent also has no way to have a vent of air to move through it unless you completely remove the rainfly- exposing the tent. It was very humid and I'm glad that it only stayed humid for the first day we were camping. At night when it was cooler, the tent provided great warmth for me and my family.

I don't like that the mesh screen doors of the tent does not have a fabric cover like most tents. That means that if you have the vestibule doors open, people walking by can see inside. When I had to do a change of clothes, I had to make sure that I stayed in a corner so people wouldn't see me. This was annoying!

I really like the vestibule. It's spacious and provided ample protection from the sun, rain, etc.

I don't like that this tent is yellow because it attracts way too many bees!

Overall, I give this tent a B- I can definitely see myself using this tent for the more hardcore tent camping that we'll be doing like in Yellowstone but for Wisconsin camping, I think a pop-up tent would be a better choice.

Upper Michigan Road Trip

Arrived at the Mackinaw Bridge

So about every 2 years, we've been road-tripping with my husband's side of the family. The first roadtrip, we went out west to Yellowstone. This year, we decided to stick nearby the Midwest because we had very young babies going with us and we had my in-laws going to. So we decided on traveling to Mackinaw City and the Sleeping Bear Dunes in upper Michigan. It was about a 4.5 hour drive from Green Bay to Mackinaw City which was not bad at all. We had pretty amazing weather except the first night we were camping- we got rained on and my in-laws tent got flooded. Other than that, it was warm but breezy and the water in Upper Michigan is so clear that we felt really rejuvenated. After the trip ended, we wanted to go back again at least one more time to Mackinaw City since we felt like half a day was not enough time. Which it definitely wasn't. There was just so much to do and see on Mackinac Island that hardly 1 day would be enough! It was kind of expensive though staying in that tourist city so we will have to budget really good or find a different alternative to lodging like camping or lodging out of town and just drive into the city for the day.

My kids loved our hotel room in Mackinaw City. 

We got the lakeside balcony view!

We only stayed 1 night in Mackinaw City and then journeyed down south about a 2.5 hour drive to our next lodging site which was a campground in the Sleeping Bear Dunes vicinity. This campground was really really rugged and not ideal for families with small children. It was called the D.H. Day Group campsite and although it was secluded, there was only a pit toilet, no running water so we couldn't even wash our hands, and there was a water pump outside but it only produced yellow murky water. Not very sanitized at all. On the 2nd day of camping, we drove down south about a 30 minute drive to Platte River Group campgrounds and that site was more modern with running water and toilets and even hot showers! The campsite itself was clean with paved sidewalks and padded area for tents. It was a very nice group campsite and I will only stay there from now on. You need to reserve these sites though as soon as possible because they fill up quick for the Summer. We were lucky some group cancelled and we were able to book for 1 night on Sunday night.

I enjoyed this area so much! There was just so much to do for every one. If you have small children, you can take them to the beaches nearby Lake Michigan or go hiking on the many trails they have. The Dunes were also so breathtaking and the waters so clear compared to our side of Lake Michigan (Wisconsin side). I'm already planning for next year's roadtrip here. There was just so much to do and so little time! Here are my top 3 recommendations for you if you plan to stay here for a couple of nights.

1. Platte River Point beach. This is an inlet lake that flows right into Lake Michigan. If you have small children, they will enjoy the warm, clear swimming waters of Platte River. The sandy beaches are nice too near the tip. If you have older kids, they will enjoy the big waves that Lake Michigan produces at the tip of the river. If you're not tied down with children. I suggest renting a kayak or tube in one of the shops nearby the park and kayaking or tubing the Platte River.

2. Sleeping Bear Dunes. We didn't have a chance to climb the dunes but some people in our party did and they said it was an easy hike to the top and worth it!

3. Pierce Stocking scenic drive. We did this 7.4 mile drive that loops around forests. There are about 10 or 12 scenic stops where you can park and venture out to look at the view and take some breathtaking pictures.


We really enjoyed our time here and could not believe that such a beautiful place existed in the Midwest within a short drive away. We'll be visiting again for sure!

First night camping... roughing it out!

Second night camping