The Adventure Mama

My quest to help you navigate motherhood, without giving up your passion for adventure

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Are You Opting Outside?

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Last year, REI started their #optoutside campaign—choosing to close their stores and not take online orders on Black Friday, giving their employees a chance to spend the day with their friends and loved ones doing something fun outside together.

You know what happened? 

Everyone LOVED it! {And many other retailers followed suit…}

 

Of course they did, what’s not to love??

Spending time in nature has been shown to reduce feelings of stress, anger, and fear while improving your mental health and sense of well being. Spending time in nature helps you feel more alive and improves your quality of life. It boosts your immune system and improves creativity, cognition, and problem solving skills. 

The perfect after Thanksgiving feels. 

It was an inspiring slap in the face of consumerism and prioritized what really matters {in my opinion, anyhow} connecting with your people. 

So, what will we be doing this year? 

It’s no secret, that our family loves to ski, so we usually tor to get out for a family style xc-ski, if the snow is in. We may also meet some friends out on the ski hill for some camaraderie. We like to shoot for some solitude together as a family, along with some rowdier celebration with our friends. 

 

How about you, does your family have any outdoor activities planned for Thanksgiving weekend? I hope you’ll join us and spend some time outside! We’d love to hear about it! Tag us in your pictures on Facebook and Instagram! 

 

 

Three down, 362 to go…

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Three down, 362 to go…

I had a great New Years Day ski yesterday. Three girlfriends, three dogs, three babies, two sleds, and one toddler.

Not shown: the $h!t show that preceded our ski tour.

One friend forgot her diaper bag. The other friend forgot poop bags for the dog. I forgot snacks for the toddler.

It takes a village, my friends.

After pooling our resources, feeding the hungry and changing the dirty, we finally got on the trail.

All seemed good, until the first hill. I was almost ready to head back to the car. Thighs and hips were burning with lactic acid, I was out of breath and already hot from pulling a sled behind me while carrying the baby in a carrier.

I wondered if it was worth it…

The first mile for me is always the hardest. When it all seems uphill and why even bother.

So, I put my head down for a bit, listened to my friends chatter, stopped a couple of times to take off a layer (but really to catch my breath. A lot.) and kept putting one foot in front of the other.

And before long the trail leveled out, the trees opened up, and I saw beautiful, snowy mountains surrounding me.

That is why I keep going. (And the endorphins. Always for the endorphins.)

All smiles, on the way down!

It’s not always easy getting out for a hike. It’s not always easy even getting to the trailhead. But it’s always worth it.

This year, the women behind hikelikeawoman.net, talesofamountainmama.com, goadventuremom.com, and kidproject.org have posed a big goal – to hike one mile a day or 365 miles, all told. Being a fan of big goals, especially ones with community support, I didn’t even blink before signing up. Because we all need a village.

Want to join me for the remaining 362 miles? Sound like something that you want to be a part of, too? Check out 365milechallenge.org for more info.

How to Stay Warm in Winter

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Dear Adventure Mama,

Winter is long and cold and often windy where I live. I have a 3-year old and an almost 1-year old and when we stay cooped up inside for too long we all get cabin fever. How can I make it a priority to get them outside to play while making sure to keep them warm? Cold kids make for cranky meltdowns and no fun for anyone! 

Thank you!

A Northern Mama

keep your baby warm in winter
This little guy is unfazed by subzero temps

Guess what, {all you} Northern Mama{s}! I’m going to share all of our secrets and answer all of your questions, so you and your family can get outside, warmly, and play to your hearts’ content, avoiding both cabin fever and meltdowns. 

Say, what!? 

It’s true! Each Tuesday in January, I’ll be hosting a webinar about Staying Warm in Winter and Dressing your Baby for Winter — ending the month with a short First Aid Course in Cold Weather Concerns for Babies.

 

Webinars will be broadcast live, on Tuesday mornings, at 9:30 am mountain time. Replays will be available, if you’re unable to make it in person.

Want to learn how to dress warm, stay warm, and avoid hypothermia and frostbite? Sign up here! 

Find Out How to Stay Warm in Winter

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Navigating Toddlerhood

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Why I bother taking my sonimg_4595 on outdoor adventures

I’m not going to lie, it often feels like we’re swimming upstream.

Sometimes, just getting my toddler out of his pajamas and into clothes is a challenge — never mind actually getting all of the clothing, equipment and food together that we need for a day out hiking or skiing. [Read more…] about Navigating Toddlerhood

Spring in Moab

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camping in Moab
Sunset glow at a campsite is beautiful

You may have noticed from the pictures I’ve been sharing lately, that we were lucky to spend a good chunk of time camping in the desert this spring. Our biggest trip was to Moab, but there were several others scattered in here and there, as well. It’s been wonderful; days filled with exploring our campsite, trails around us — both new and familiar, and looking and listening for signs of nature all around us.

This spring has been particularly special for me and the little guy.

Moab hike
There’s lots to explore in the desert

[Read more…] about Spring in Moab

My Top 3 pieces of baby equipment

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The other day, a friend asked me: “If you were stranded on a deserted island, with only three pieces of baby equipment, what would they be?” (click to tweet) 

It didn’t take long for me to answer.

The first piece of of equipment would definitely be our pram.

[Read more…] about My Top 3 pieces of baby equipment