Being a Michigander means a vacation consists of camping in the great outdoors. Nothing is better than sitting around a campfire with family and friends. Don’t even get me started on the magnificent smell of a campfire; it really is one of my favorite smells of all time. That is why I love Michigan so much. No, not just for the campfire smell! I love it because it is filled with SO MANY beautiful places to camp, both in the upper and lower peninsulas.
I was a late bloomer when it came to camping. (Unless you count sleeping in a tent in your backyard as camping!) I didn’t start camping until I married my husband about two years ago. His family grew up camping every summer and we took that tradition on ourselves. My grandpa sold us his pop-up camper that he used with his family since 1988, and now we travel around the state making new memories in it. It’s nice to have something that meant so much to him now mean so much to my husband and I.
So you’re probably wondering why a Christmas store is blogging about camping? Ha! I know, seems odd, right? But, believe it or not, we do have some items that can be great for camping. Let’s talk about lights. When walking through a campground you see so many tents, campers, RVs with … (drumroll, please) LIGHTS! Of course we have Christmas lights, but let’s bump this up a notch! We have what are called novelty lights. Lights shaped as different animals, drinks and objects. They give personality to your campsite and well, come on … look at them … they are just AWESOME.

The last camping trip that my husband and I took was to Traverse City. If you haven’t camped at their state park, then I recommend you do! It’s beautiful and spacious. I would have to say that setting up our campsite is one of my favorite things to do. It’s nice to have your site personalized to who you are as well. The one thing we never forget to have when we go camping is our personalized camping sign! We actually purchased this sign at an arts and craft show in Frankenmuth. They host a couple of arts and craft shows throughout the summer.
We can’t go camping without our trusty basset hound Walter. He is great help when it comes to setting up our campsite! 😉
We thought we were very innovative and used clothespins to clip the lights to our canopy … I know, super classy. 🙂 We used Plastic Float string lights (item #1178-809), and they can be used both indoors and outdoors. They are not found online but you can always call customer service at 800-361-6736 to purchase.
One of the best parts of camping is relaxing! Slide your feet into our Happy Camper slippers ($14.99). Available in-store or by contacting customer service (800.361.6736 or customerservice@bronners.com).

Here are a couple of our favorite novelty lights that would work great for your camper or tent!
New this year we have these hilarious s’more mugs that come with different saying’s on them (Sorry, only in-store!). Below is a shot of just one of the three different kinds that we have. So, forget the simple to-go cup, enjoy a nice warm cup of coffee or cocoa in this adorable s’more mug.
Looking for a keepsake to remember one of your trips by? Well, you have come to the right spot! We have a variety of ornaments that can help celebrate that one special camping trip. Check them out below and online!
So what’s your favorite thing about camping? Share with us a special camping memory in the comments below.
Decoratively yours,
– Bronner’s Blog Team