With summer upon us, being outdoors is becoming a more frequent event for most families. Whether it be daytime activities or nighttime fun, there are many healthier, more natural choices for repelling bugs, grilling up some dinner, or protecting yourself from the sun!

1. Throw a sage bundle in the campfire to repeal mosquitoes. Though the smoke from the fire will also drive those pesky bugs away, the sage will help in the effort and leave you with a pleasant smell.

2. Put Rosemary over hot coals before cooking instead of marinating. If you love flavor, this is a great tip. Some marinades are full of sodium and other unhealthy ingredients, which can be harmful to your health. Grilling with this herb will give you all the flavor and none of the damaging aspects.

3. Prevent ticks with white vinegar, tree oil, water, and lavender. Combining the tree oil, vinegar, water, and lavender creates a sweet smelling concoction that can be sprayed on you, the kids, and your furry friends to help prevent ticks from biting. Most Tick and Mosquito sprays contain harmful chemicals that can kill the bugs, but do you really want those chemicals on you? The natural way is the way to go!

4. Buy an all natural, organic sunscreen. With the increasing amounts of diagnosed cases of skin cancer, sunscreen is an absolute must when enjoying the outdoors. But, just like with the bug repellents, sunscreen can have some questionable ingredients that can be harmful to some people. There are tons of inexpensive, all natural, biodegradable sunscreens on the market, which are much better options for you and your family!

5. Use cucumber peels to repel bees. This one sounds crazy, but its crazy enough to work! Bees have been in the news a lot lately because people have been killing them in large numbers. Instead of whacking that bothersome bee away from your food and taking the risk of being stung, simply place some cucumber peels around your campsite as an all natural repellent. Bees hate the bitter taste and smell of cucumber peels so it has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to drive bees away. A good place could be under your tablecloth or in the grass!

Trying out any or all of these tips could not only help you and your family's health, but it will be better for the environment as well!

Happy Green Camping!