troy muilenburg

Our Silly Zoo Goes Camping

June 22, 2016 by Jenna Rupe 1 Comment

For us, camping is one of the best ways to get in some quality family time (and A LOT of laughter.) With boys who love their video games a little too much, and the older siblings always busy with work or school, camping gives us the opportunity to really connect without the distractions of every day life. Phone service was present, as always, but our batteries gave out pretty quickly (yahooo!)

Now, we are no camping pros, but we have picked up a bunch of tips and tricks that make camping with a large crew more accessible and easy going. We think everyone should be able to enjoy the outdoors with their kiddos so we want to share what we have learned with you!

1.) Find a park with a hiking trail system, especially if your group wants to go on an adventure!

We chose the Mississippi Palisades State Park for our camping excursion. It boasts a 13-mile trail system, with five trails in the north and five in the south. On the park’s website, we found that the north trail system was less hazardous and had wider paths. Considering we had two puppies in tow (more on them later) and it was nearly 100 degrees out, we chose this path first to see how everyone would do, and it was amazing! At the peak of one of the trails was an incredible view from the top of the palisades. A selfie of the whole group was obviously in order! Troy’s arms are so long we call him the “selfie stick”.

The next day was a bit cooler and we all felt great from our previous hike, so we hit the south trail system. It was much more rugged and “off-road,” if you will. Climbing was required much of the time and the trails weren’t as marked so we were really happy to have our trail map with us. It was so fun to explore an area nearly untouched by civilization. We definitely enjoyed the south trails more because of the feeling that you were walking on the same paths that the Native Americans forged so many years ago.

2.) Use a carabiner to make your backpack feel lighter while hiking.

If your backpack already has a chest strap then you’re good to go, but ours didn’t, so we improvised! Just use the carabiner to attach the backpack straps at your chest. This takes so much weight of your shoulders (literally!) and makes carrying a heavy backpack much easier. We packed a bunch of water and sandwiches in ours so we could have a picnic once we found a cool view.

3.) If your dog is afraid of the water, throw him in a kayak!

A boy and his dog. Look at that smile!!

This is where the newest addition to our Silly Zoo comes in, Bear! No, not an actual bear, just a little puppy the kids named Bear. He is half German Shepard, half black Lab so the name is pretty fitting considering he should grow up to be a big boy.

After our hiking we were all in need of some refreshing water to play in, so we loaded up the kayaks and headed to a nearby lake. Our slightly older puppy, Paisley, loooooves the water so the minute we got out of the car she was off like a flash. On the other hand, this was Bear’s first experience with a large body of water. It was so cute, and a little heart breaking, to watch him tentatively paw the edge of the water. As much as we could see that he wanted to join in on the fun, Bear would not take the plunge. Not wanting him to be left out, we plopped him into a kayak.

4.) Bring a yoga mat to double as a sleeping pad.

Regular camping sleeping pads are great, but you never know when you might want to bust out a downward-facing dog, right?! Plus, not everyone has a plethora of camping supplies in their garage and this way you can shave off some of the supply costs. Camping should be stress-free, not expensive!

5.) Cook corn on the cob with the husk still on.

This will minimize the amount of clean up and cooking supplies needed. Gently peel away the outer layers so that the husk remains attached at the bottom of the ear, remove the silks, then recover the cob with the husk. The removed silks can then be used to help start the fire. Once the corn is prepared you can either throw it directly on the grill over the fire, or place tin foil over the grill first. We put ours directly on the fire and it gave it a great smoky flavor. Don’t be afraid if it starts to look charred on the outside, the inside will still be great! Since cooking time varies depending on the size and heat of the fire, check the corn occasionally and remove once the kernels are tender. If you have reluctant corn huskers, make it a game! We had a competition to see who could husk the most ears of corn. Yes, we are from IOWA!

6.) Use Keebler Fudge Strip cookies (or another chocolaty cookie of your choice) to make s’mores.

This is by far my favorite part about camping. Who doesn’t love a gooey, marshmallowy, chocolaty cookie sandwich of goodness? Needless to say, we scarfed down a few too many of these bad boys. Good thing we went on that super long hike!

Anyways, to make creating this traditional camping dessert simpler, we used Keebler Fudge Stripe cookies in place of the traditional graham cracker and Hershey chocolate combo. The result was really tasty! I might even like it more than the traditional version!

7.) If you don’t like chocolate (like most of our boys), replace the chocolate of the s’more with blueberries.

Don’t ask me how Troy thought of this, but while we were sitting around the fire making s’mores he asked for some blueberries (or BLUEBS as we now prefer to call them), and we curiously watched as he put them on top of the melty marshmallow of his s’more. The result was surprisingly delicious and everyone wanted to try making one. BLUEBS all around! They were definitely a hit with the boys who don’t like chocolate quite as much as the girls (why is that a thing?!), but I’m willing to bet that a combo of chocolate and blueberries would be even more amazing. We’re definitely going to have to give it a try next time! Or, you could try it out for us and let us know what you think!

8.) Last but not least, LOVE each other!

If you don’t do anything else, enjoy your time together. Talk, laugh until your abs hurt, share funny stories, do weird dance moves, whatever makes you happy! Get out into the wild and make some memories!

Have any camping tips or stories to share with us? Leave a comment. We would love to hear from you!

What Motivates an Author to Write a Children’s Book?

June 4, 2015 by Barb Muilenburg Leave a Comment

What motivates an author to write a children’s book?

I have always enjoyed reading books to my kids, the kids in my preschool and the kids at Sunday School classes. To see their faces as they absorbed the story warmed my heart! It was almost like they were right there in the story and part of it. I could see their imaginations come to life! It was the books that dealt with animals and animal families that peaked their curiosity and amazement the most.

Good stories come from your own experiences

Troy and I talked about writing children’s books by drawing from our experiences raising our children and the things we did with them, like, for example, taking a trip to the zoo. I began to reminisce about story time with my children and the idea for Silly Zoo was born. It has been a journey writing Silly Zoo Is All I Can Say, remembering trips to the zoo from when I was a child, to taking my own family. Everyone has their own favorite animal that they like to see and revisit every time they return to the Zoo. My favorite animals to visit are the monkeys and gorillas. I love to watch them groom each other and care for each other. Their attention to one another is so endearing to me. They love their babies like I love my babies!

The rewards from sharing a good book are endless

It is my hope that through writing these books with Troy that I will have the opportunity to visit schools and libraries to read to children and again see little faces light up as they enjoy the story. To see a child’s imagination light up through books is an amazing sight!

What is your favorite time to read books to your children? Is a gathering place you like to take your kids for story time, like a library, book store, or park? Let me know and If I am in the area I will try and be there, Silly Zoo and all.

Silly Zoo Is All I Can Say Comes to Life With Illustrations and Family Memories

May 19, 2015 by troy@77 4 Comments

Silly Zoo Is All I Can Say is available soon!

As we get closer to releasing our latest title, Silly Zoo is All I Can Say, we cannot help but think about how it has brought back so many memories of our visits to the Zoo with our children. We have had so many wonderful experiences at the zoo that it was not possible to include them all in the book. We are sure, though, that you and your children will be reminded of your own memories of a time at the Zoo when a funny animal did that crazy thing right in front of you.

How Silly Zoo came to life with illustrations telling part of the story

Our zoo story has been sitting idle for years just waiting for the right person to come along and tell the story with pictures. The whole process developed quickly over the past few months, as Len DiSalvo worked his magic by coming up with some fantastic illustrations. Sometimes Len had a different interpretation of the animals in the story. Understanding his perspective was the fun part because we knew what we envisioned but sometimes you just have to let the artist do his thing. Each time we received an email that contained Len’s new sketches, we waited until we could open them together so that we could measure each other’s reactions to the various sketches. Some sketches were an instant hit, while others needed a tweak or two. Any changes were to let Len know exactly what we were thinking when we were putting words on paper. What a process! It was an exciting time as with each new email, we were able to see the book take shape. We still laugh at the rhino sketch with the rhino looking at the sign “white rhino” with that puzzled look on his face and question marks!

Silly Zoo has factual information on the animals as well

As the illustrations came together we were also adding facts about the animals for readers to have a chance to learn a little more about their favorite animal. This was a fun, educational experience as we both learned a lot about the different animals. Did you know that a hippo can actually walk on the bottom of the river bed, no bridge necessary here? The strange thing about all the facts for the different animals was that sometimes, very specific facts were actually different from one source to the other. So this naturally led to more research. As far as the activities to add we simply thought about the fun, different things we did with our kids: drawing pictures, word games, and making up stories.

Use Silly Zoo to connect with your little one

The next time you put your children to sleep have them start a story by selecting their favorite zoo animal. Ask them to tell that animal’s story…what they like to do, who their friends are, where their family is and let your child pick where the story goes. Let his imagination go from there.

Our favorite bedtime ritual was to read a short book at bedtime and tell one of our favorite stories. Does your child have a have a favorite bedtime story or book?

Silly Zoo Is All I Can Say, A Children’s Book Captures The Fondest Memories of Animals At The Zoo

May 4, 2015 by troy@77 Leave a Comment

A trip to the zoo brings family together

Over the years we have taken the kids to see many places and done many adventurous things. Of all the places we have visited, it never fails that the zoo is the one place where the kids can go and just be their silly selves. There are so many animals at the Zoo, doing what they do best – “be themselves.” The things that make animals unique, through a child’s eyes… who am I kidding… even through an adult’s eyes, are such funny sights to see. For example, who can resist a giggle at elephants playing in the water, giraffes getting a drink, and of course, monkeys doing what they do best, entertain us all.

The inspiration behind Silly Zoo Is All I Can Say

It was during these visits to the zoo and the continuous giggling sessions that followed that encouraged us to ask “what was so funny?” The kids would simply answer “what a silly animal!” After stringing together enough visits to the zoo, it was time to put all the experiences on paper. We thought a book would be a great way to showcase all the funny, little things that animals do in one place. Through a book, we can bring those “silly sights” to each and every child in the comfort of their own homes, schools, and libraries.

A great illustrator completed the picture for Silly Zoo

What we needed was someone who could tell our silly story of all of our numerous trips to the zoo through illustrations. After seeing Len DiSalvo’s work in other books, we realized that this would soon become a reality. We talked with Len about the story and our vision of what it could be. Len enjoyed his trip through the zoo and he came up with a series of illustrations that took us back to those moments we had with our kids. And of course when he sent us the Silly Zoo Is All I Can Say cover, we knew that we were on our way to share with everyone a chance to visit the Silly Zoo. Silly Zoo Is All I Can Say, a children’s book for kids aged 4-8 will be released and available in May on our website and on Amazon.

I am sure you have had some good times at the Zoo as well. What is your funniest memories of visiting a zoo? What is your favorite zoo animal?