*Guest Post* Little Helpers Make Happy Campers

This week we welcome Tiffany AKA The Campy Mom to the blog.  She is the queen of camp (at least in the blogging world) and we are thrilled to have her here today.  Even better, she is sharing one of our very favorite camping recipes.  As always, please feel free to leave her some love in the comments and make sure to check out her bio below (and awesome blog too!)  

My kids are camping kids.  They love camping and all the outdoor activities that go along with it.  I love that they are spending time outdoors exercising and learning to appreciate nature.

Our kids love to help around the campsite.  They feel useful, needed and confident when they are allowed to get involved.  Of course, the level of a child’s involvement depends on their age and maturity level.

Ways to Allow Children to Help Around the Campsite

Allow children to carry their own gear to the campsite.  We allow each child to have their own backpack or duffle bag for their clothes.  They are proud to have their own bag.  Each child has a small personal lantern, their own fishing rod and bug habitats. They feel very independent with their own equipment.

Kids can help setup the campsite.  Older kids can help setup the tent.  Younger children may be allowed to setup the table with the vinyl tablecloth and plastic ware. My kids love to put together the foam floor tiles (like you see in preschools) which we use as flooring in our tent.  The older kids take turns deciding the pattern we will use for the floor tiles (such as red-blue-green-yellow or yellow-blue-red-green).

*Gear Review* Bogs Boots

I am always searching for a great pair of boots to keep my feet warm and dry.  I feel like you can definitely skimp with some gear, but boots and gloves are worth spending a little money for.  Bogs are certainly the rage right now in the outdoor world, and I was thrilled to have a chance to give them a try!


Truth be told, I have actually been putting off this review for a little bit because I was having troubles with my Bogs keeping my feet warm.  I wanted to be sure I tested them again and again before I posted my final results here (because that is only fair to you all AND to Bogs!)  Please note that this review is my own personal experience.  Your own experience could certainly be different (and I would LOVE to hear about it in the comments!) 

Classic High Tuscany Boots (retail $100)

What I love:
- Easy-on (I grab them and go!)
- The handle (makes carrying them and putting them on a cinch.)
- They have incredible arch support and are very comfortable (not something I was expecting.)
- The width: Bogs are made with four-way stretch Neo-Tech that accommodates all shapes of feet.  Perfect.
- The height.  Plenty of room around the calf for tucking pants in, leaving the ability for lots of high-snow-pile jumping!
- The colors/patterns available.  
- The traction (I feel comfortable wearing them, walking on ice/snow AND carrying my kids.)

Cross Country Skiing for Kids

We do a lot of different kinds of skiing in our family.

Cross country in the backcountry is my favorite.  I love the workout, the peace, the silence (well, usually anyway...), and the fact that the hills are a bit more of just that: hills (not mountains!)  Mtn Papa is the one more into the Backcountry alpine skiing (hiking up with skis on for traction and then skiing down) but it is certainly growing on me.

Lately, J has been going with Daddy every chance he gets to practice downhill (AKA Alpine skiing.)  Now we are trying to convince him that cross country is fun too!

Let me first be clear that this is our first time trying to teach a kid to ski.  Poor "Guinea Pig", J!  We are certainly not experts, but it is always nice to hear what others have done!

This Moment...

*No words necessary, just a precious moment!*

Bad Outdoor Days just HAPPEN!

Sometimes things don't go entirely as planned....even in the small adventures at home.  It is frustrating, discouraging and definitely just life.  Someone please tell me I am not the only one who deals with mornings like the following:

I wake up in not the best mood (AKA downright grumpy) and tired from a sleepless night (think teething baby!)  I find myself taking it out on my kids within minutes.  I decide that for the good of all involved throughout the day, a morning run is something that HAS to happen.  Stat.  

Mtn Papa had to go into work early that morning, which means that any run will involve 3 of us plus the dog.  Not a huge deal, something I am pretty used to.

Kids fed.  Check.

Kids dressed and diapers changed.  Check.

Meltdown #1 handled (J wants to put music on and dance, I convince him he can dance in the Chariot with the iPod touch tunes.)  Check.

Teeth brushed.  Check.

Mama dressed.  Check.

Meltdown #2 handled (J wants more breakfast, I hand him a granola bar.)  Check.

J dressed in his snow gear.  17 degrees and windy.  Lots of layers required.  Check.

P is tired and begins to fuss (because we have now been awake almost 2 hours.)  Dress him in his warm gear anyway.  Check.

Mama's warm gear on.  Check.

All accounted for in the garage ready to load Chariot.  Check.

Chariot apparently needs repairs and I cannot get the running attachment on for the life of me (I will save you the details.)  P crying, J still wanting to dance, dog whining, biting my tongue.  Fail.

*Guest Post* Get Your Kids Outside!

Please welcome James Garner, from Outdoor Gear TV.  He is a wealth of information when it comes to gear and families!  As always, please feel free to leave him comments and be sure to check out his great video reviews!

At a young age I was exposed to a healthy dose of spending time outdoors.   We grew up in the country and spent most of our waking hours outside.  I just did not know any better.  There were several things that geared my upbringing to this.  First we basically had access to acres of woods and terrain. Second, we had no TV or video games.  And finally, my brother and I probably drove my mom crazy and she made us stay outside until it was time to come in and eat dinner and go to bed.  As I grew up my parents would purposely plan a yearly vacation to Colorado.  We would spend 2 weeks together as a family in the mountains.  It was at a young age that I realized that I held the outdoors and especially the mountains dear to my heart.  I later went on to Guide for many years in Colorado. 

Here we are 10 years later.  Enter a wife and 3 kids.  My children’s ages are 7,4 and 5 months old.  Life changes fast and we better change with it or get run over!  So how do I make it a priority to get my children outside?  Everywhere I look kids are punching away at I pads and I Phones around every corner.  Here are 3 ways that I try to fight conformity and get my children outside. 

Staying Organized with all that GEAR! (Transpack Review + Giveaway)

With two young kids, a dog, our skis, our boots, our warm gear, extra layers, food, etc. etc. our car is bursting with stuff.

It drives me crazy (and I refuse to post a picture here of what it looks like in reality!)

We are usually pretty organized as we leave home, but by the time we are done with our adventure and heading back, a gear tornado has taken over our vehicle.

We usually finish our ski (or hike, etc.) and throw the kids into the car, quickly take off gloves and boots to make sure extremities are warm, and give them a snack (and dig through quickly-shed jackets to get there) before they start getting really fussy.  Two minutes of craziness means no organization what-so-ever.

However, we have gotten better, thanks to being more consistent about our packing and trying to enforce a system (despite the madness!)

What we do for the shorter trips (in the area):
- All P's clothing (hats, gloves, booties) are zipped into his snowsuit and then put into the community duffel bag.
- J wears his snow pants and boots to the trail.
- Mountain Papa and I also wear our ski pants and ski boots to the trail.
- All our extra gear is thrown into a big duffle.

When we're going a little further:
- Everyone's gear goes into separate bags (though for now the kids share one bag.)
- Mittens are paired and stuck into hats and then into coat sleeves.
- Boots have their own pockets in said bags (wait for it....) to keep them separate from other stuff (avoiding mud and snow/water on everything.)
- We bring a bag specifically for snacks and water bottles.  All empty containers and fruit peels return to that bag (we usually carry a reusable trash sack for the garbage.)
- The car does not move until all gear (wet or not) returns back to its spot.  Because we usually are going to need that stuff again (coats for dinner later or hats and gloves and snow pants for sledding, etc.) we want to know where it is.
- When we get home, our railing is full of the wet stuff to dry!

THE bag(s) that helps keep that organization a little better:

Transpack.

Edge Jr. and XTW in Gray/Lemongrass Multi Floral

The "Indoor Recess" Kid

Across the country, recess (especially in the elementary school) is being threatened to be replaced by more classroom time.  I may be bold in saying so, but I honestly couldn't think of a better way to inhibit learning.  


As a teacher myself, I have seen all spectrums of recess play.  I have been tempted to take away the "privilege" of recess due to misbehavior for a kid that really may need it more than anyone else in the class.  I have bandaged up cuts and bruises and broken up "fights" and drama between kids (yes, even between those sweet 8 year olds!)  I have seen kids laugh and cry and take their coats off when it was 20 degrees outside (because they truly are hot from playing!) 


I have watched kids make up their own games and involve their entire class in their play.  Giant piles of snow have become incredible forts in less than 15 minutes.  Climbers are climbed and swings are swung.  


Growing up, I was definitely the kid that would do anything I could to avoid going outside to recess.  Crazy as it sounds now, I would offer to help the teacher, insist I had extra work to do (despite the fact that I was ahead in most of my classes) or "forget" my warm gear.  I was missing out. (And I am so glad I have learned better since then!)


My point is this:  Kids NEED to spend time outdoors.  Kids in public schools, kids in private schools and kids that are home-schooled.  There is NO exception for the need for recess on a daily basis (even though that may be indoor recess in the case of extreme weather.)

The National Wildlife Federation has a great article stating that "kids who spend time outside have fitter bodies, better eyesight, less stress, and better grades." They go on to list 10 reasons why kids need fresh air including longer attention spans and less hyperactivity depression (key components in helping kids learn in and outside of the classroom.)  

Changing Things....

I have had a lot of feedback the last few days about the resistance of people to have pictures of their kids on the internet.  Totally understand.  Therefore, I have made a few changes for the requirements to enter to win a GeoPalz.

Yes, I want to see people being active as a family (and would still love to feature a collage of those photos in the future on the blog without names.)  However, I want people to be able to win and use the GeoPalz more!  Please do still send in pictures for an extra entry (and if you already have, you have two entries in!)

If you are confused, or just want to see what has been updated, the GeoPalz Giveaway is here.  And feel free to comment here or email me with other questions!

Thanks so much! Have a Happy Outdoor Weekend!

This Moment....

*No words necessary, just a precious moment!*

Also, if you haven't, we would love for you to subscribe to Tales of a Mountain Mama via RSS feed (the orange button on the right by the blue Facebook button!)  There is also an option to subscribe via email (right below that button!)  Google Friend Connect is going away soon and we don't want to leave anyone hanging!  Thank you to our faithful readers!

Get Kids Moving (GeoPalz Review and Giveaway)

*Contest closed.  Winner were chosen randomly from their comments and pictures received.  Congratulations to Shawn (comment),  ChemoMom (comment), and Bec (picture)!  Please email me to claim your prize! mountainmamatales (at) gmail (dot) com*

**Check back in April for another chance to win from GeoPalz!**

It is no secret that kids are moving much less these days.  With the onset of video games, T.V., electronics, and plain laziness, obesity is at an all-time high.  Part of the goal of Tales of a Mountain Mama is to inspire families to get their kids outside and moving much more.  It is a mission we obviously believe in whole-heartedly and strive to make one of the top priorities of our own family.

Back in the fall, I was given a chance to test out a GeoPalz tracker that I won from the Outdoor Blogger Network.  It has taken me a while (which is good news because that just means a lot of testing to report back to you) but here is what we think of the company, the pedometer, the mission and the prizes.

About GeoPalz:
GeoPalz is a company aimed at getting kids moving through fun pedometers and prizes they can earn by basically being active.  The GeoPalz are $25 each, but you can also use your own pedometers if you already have one.  That being said, the GeoPalz have quite a few neat features (explanations below) that make me believe they are worth buying them from the site.  Kids (and parents) track their steps on the GeoPalz site (J likes tracking his and listening to the sound effects of lots of steps taken and cheering!)  You earn points that you can trade in for prizes.  The prizes range from frisbees to balls to gift certificates and you just pay the shipping to have them sent to you.  They also just started a program where parents can add their own prize to your child's "prize store" through Amazon.com and determine how many steps it will be worth.  These prizes are paid for by parents (they are NOT free) but it is a great way for kids to have to earn something they really have their eyes on.  Finally, there are milestones completely with printable certificates (and geo-tags you can collect - you just pay shipping on them.)

The Trackers...
...come in a bunch of different designs with the idea being that if the wearer likes the design, they will be more inclined to wear it.  There are definitely a variety ranging from cutesy to sports to nature-themed.

J has the "Tree of Life" tracker.

The stats:
- 98% accurate (we agree.)
- Tri-Axis Accelerometer
- Calibration (which is great for little steps like J's!)
- 21 Days of storage (no need to worry if you miss reporting a day.) You can check the steps for each day and it will flash the date at the same time.
- MVPA - intense play tracking

*Guest Post* The Importance of Being an Outdoor Dad

Again, we are honored to have another dad guest blogger with some great reasoning on why it is so important for dads in particular to get their kids outside.  Please welcome Jayson Cardwell (and be sure to check out his bio below including a link to his own blog - he has quite a story!)  As always, comments and feedback are welcome!

As I step one foot in front of the other I can hear the crunch underneath my footsteps as the fall leaves make for an inviting melody of the joy of being on a trail. This melody however isn't in perfect harmony, the chorus is a bit off key.

“I'm tired”

“My legs hurt”

“Can I have an energy bean?”

Yes, the chorus of a complaining child! As an outdoor dad this is a broken record that I listen to often, which always leaves me two choices. I can forgo taking my child outside or I can make the experience the very best I can for them. The choice is an obvious one for me, grab your gear and get out the door. 

Dressing Kids for Winter

I get a lot of questions about how we keep our boys warm in the winter when we are outside for hours at a time.  I was hoping to do a video, but I figured I would save you all from the whining and the reality that the video would be at least 20 minutes long (even if I sped it up to double time!) with labeled pictures instead.  This is what we are doing this winter and is what works for us and our kids!  As always, please feel free to add your comments or questions at the end of the post!

Unplug + Snow!

We did a lot of this...

...this...

...and this...

 ...and none of this...

...this weekend.  It was glorious.

Anyone get outside and enjoy nature and family (or solitude) this weekend?

This Moment....(plus some news!)

*No words necessary, just a precious moment.*

And in case you missed it....
We were featured on Wednesday over at the Pocket Ranger Blog (your chance to learn a little more about us!)
Plus, don't miss your chance to win a Wizbang Hat! 

Layers (the Long Underwear Edition)

Back in December we did a post about the benefits of Merino long underwear especially for kids.  We highlighted one of our favorite companies, Icebreaker, and talked about how crucial we feel that base layers are for kids.

Kids certainly are not the only ones who need to keep warm.  I recently heard an excellent viewpoint that if parents are warm and happy, their attitude will help keep their kids positive too.  The truth is that kids don't miss a thing, and if you are cold and frustrated, your kid will certainly follow that example (even if they are perfectly warm!)

A couple of our favorites when it comes to adult base layers:

Icebreaker New Zealand Merino Wool
...makes long underwear for adults too (and yes, it is just as amazing as the smaller "kid-version".  Mountain Papa and I both have a set that we wear constantly.  I already spoke a bunch about Icebreaker the company in this post, but I wanted to highlight the pros and cons we see of Merino Wool (and particularly Icebreaker.)

*Guest Post* Raising Cycling-Crazed Kids

This week we have another dad guest blogger :) Darryl and his family are huge cyclists, and since we share their love of biking, we are excited to have them here!  As always, feel free to comment and make sure you check out his blog, Loving the Bike.

I am one of many dads out there who is passionate about cycling and definitely Loving the Bike.  It’s only natural to want your kids to have the same passions and enjoy the same things as you, right?  I’ve never pushed cycling on them, but I have to be honest and say that it brings a huge smile to my face when I see them out riding or getting excited about the bike.

Due to us being a gypsy-like family and spending a lot of my daughter’s earlier years moving around and not always living in a place conducive to learning to ride a bike, she never started riding until she was eight.  She’s now 13 and although she likes getting out there some nice rides together, her love is running.  What’s a cycling dad to do?

Wearing Helmets All Year Long (+ Wizbang Hat Review and Giveaway)

*This post has been updated to include a giveaway - please read all the way to the end!*
*CLOSED* Congratulations, Carla (lucky #10 - check your inbox!)

We are huge proponents of helmets in our family.  We wear them skiing and biking (and don't even think about NOT wearing them if we are on motorized vehicles.)  We have been touched by deaths due to people not wearing helmets, and I am shocked every time I see a motorcycle go through town (which we get a LOT of in the summer) with a helmet-less rider.  Additionally, many ski resorts are moving towards mandatory helmet use.  This is my plug to please wear a helmet - it could save your life (and sets a great example for your kids)!

Yesterday I mentioned that we bike all year long, and when you live at 7000 feet, that means that a lot of the time some sort of ear protection from the cold is needed.

First of all, J wears an infant helmet by Giro called the Me2 that I highly recommend.  The Me2 is adjustable as the child grows (or you change layers of clothing.) When we bought J's balance bike, he tried on a bunch of different helmets and it was the one that fit him better than any of the others.  I also love that it comes down further on the back of his head just to provide that much more protection.

I admit that as a family, we (meaning Mountain Papa and I) are much lazier about wearing helmets simply because of the hassle of fitting a hat under them.  Really lame excuse.  But, because I know we are not the only ones that struggle with it, I wanted to highlight a few hats that are multifunctional (especially for biking) for us as a family.  These are certainly not the only ones out there, and we would love to hear some of your own favorites!

Mountain Hardware, Wizbang and Icebreaker hats

Unseasonal Outdoor Fun

We live in the "Valley of the Warm Winds" which means that often we have to drive at least a little bit to get to any snow at all.  Great for not having to worry about shoveling driveways, not so great for being able to ski out your back door (which we long for!)

Another perk of less snow is the fact that it makes it possible to do "out-of-season" outdoor activities all winter long.  It is so easy to get caught in the mindset that summer is the time for playing in water, biking, and using the slides when really sometimes it is even more fun in the winter (and yes, with snow too!)

Here are a few of our favorite non-winter winter ideas:

*please note that the temperatures were not above 20 degrees F in any of these photos*

1. Sidewalk Chalk.  

We made a diagram on the driveway and drew shapes in the squares.  It was great fun for J to have me call out a shape for him to jump on.  Later we made a series of circles in a "chain" that was another opportunity for lots of jumping!

This Moment....

*No words necessary, just a precious moment.*

THE Gear if you are Pregnant or Nursing: Mountain Mama Expecting Adventure Reviews (and discount code!)

I hate being pregnant.

The reasons are all selfish (well mostly, anyway.)  I hate the weight gain, I hate the fact that it slows me down (enough to put me on bed rest with P), I hate the nausea and the waddle and all the fun stuff that goes along with it (I'll save you from too much information there.)  I hate that I have to be more careful skiing, that I struggle to catch my breath at 10,000 feet driving over the pass to Jackson, and that I am so, so, tired.

That said, I love the baby (of course!)  And I am so thankful for my children (and the husband that put up with me while pregnant.)

Don't get me wrong, I do everything I can to stay active while pregnant and I highly recommend it as long as your doctor is ok with it (and you feel good!)

*Guest Post* Mountain Mama (post-baby!)

Today I am so honored to welcome Teresa Delfin, founder of Mountain Mama:Expecting Adventure, to the blog.  I recently had the chance to meet her in person, and must say she is as great as her gear and her slogan! :) She has voiced here what many post-baby outdoorsy women deal with and don't like to talk about.  Please feel free to leave her comments (and please do check out her store!)  Also, check back tomorrow for a couple more reviews of some of my favorite (so far!) pieces from Mountain Mama:Expecting Adventure  *Just to avoid confusion, this blog is in no way affiliated with the apparel except that we love it!*

Teresa looking strong right before becoming pregnant with Baby #2 (Her husband and son look on!)

As the founder of Mountain Mama apparel, I’ve weighed in everywhere from tiny blogs to USA Today on the benefits of staying active throughout pregnancy. During my first pregnancy I climbed, hiked, kayaked, and mountain biked, and even bike commuted all the way up to my due date. In my most recent pregnancy I added stand-up-paddling, swimming, and skiing to my prenatal fitness line-up. It all helped me stay limber and fit, even as the pounds kept accumulating. All 40 of them.

I habitually carry 5-10 pounds too many to be considered thin, but as a high altitude endurance athlete my extra padding serves me well, and I generally don’t worry what people think. Besides, I’m so petite that my pregnant belly overwhelms the rest of me, obscuring the weight gain until post-partum. While pregnant I’ve learned to go easy on myself, knowing that whether I indulge in that scoop of gelato or not, I’ll have work to do losing weight once baby comes. It took me a year to return to pre-baby weight after my first child.