Sign Off + *Guest Blogger* Screen Free Thoughts

Thank you so much to everyone that participated this week.  We'll be back on the blog posting May 7th with another jam-packed week!  

Watch for a guest post from Teresa of Mountain Mama: Expecting Adventure (including a giveaway of their "No Touch" kids shirt), a special Mother's Day event, and, of course, gear reviews and inspiration! *Hint, if you own a Piggyback Rider (or won one!) make sure to take pictures using it throughout Screen Free Week (we'll be doing another photo contest!)*

On a personal note, we will also be busy moving our family (and this operation ;)) to Yellowstone! (nothing like filling the schedule!) 

Until then, Happy Adventuring (and make sure to check out this cool reflection below!) 
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A dear friend of mine sent this to me, and I thought it was a perfect little snippet of some more inspiration before Screen Free Week starts.  Please feel free to add your thoughts at the end (and check out her bio too, of course!)


Screen Free.  


Almost sounds like a joke. Seriously, our culture relies upon these tools for everything. In the workplace, at school, and now screen time takes up precious time we should be spending together with our children and families. 


I am grateful to have a response that is shocked by the need for a screen free movement! Sure, we allow our kids to play on the iPad or watch a "little show" now and again. Kids need to play, and play hard! And the funny thing about turning on a show in our house is that no one ends up watching it anyway. Perhaps this quality I cherish relates to our children being young, I don't know, but I am happy that they'd rather find their thirsty giraffe some water or play with blocks than sit in front of a screen.

Most mornings when my children are up (and my oldest turned 3 two weeks ago, followed by a 21-month old and a 4 month old) they wait by the front door so we can eat breakfast on the front steps and ride scooters, bust out a little chalk art, or just wave hello to the passing children, birds, and cars as they go by. 


They love being outside. 

Get Ready! #screenfree

Next week we are gearing up for the biggest event we have ever hosted to date here at Tales of a Mountain Mama.  We are thrilled to see the hours of hard work finally coming together in what we are sure will be an informative (and lucky!) week for you, as readers.  We hope you will join us in what we are calling "Gearing up Families to go Screen Free" for inspiration, tips, introductions to some incredible writers and outdoor enthusiasts, and plenty of opportunities to win free gear.

WHY is this SUCH a big deal?

Kids these days are absolutely bombarded by screens, technology and the lure of sedentary activities.  Obesity rates are up, ADD is more of a “common” issue than ever before, and kids simply aren’t spending time outdoors and moving. 

Thankfully, the awareness on the issue is spreading like wildfire and people (and companies) across the country are fighting against what Richard Louv has dubbed, “Nature-Deficit Disorder.”  Our blog, Tales of a Mountain Mama, was started in an attempt to inspire families with young children (who are more apt to stay inside because of convenience) to get out there and make outdoor adventures a normal part of their lives while their family is still young.  

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood has put together a yearly event encouraging children, families, schools and communities to go Screen Free and make changes towards a more active and outdoor lifestyle.  This year the event will happen from April 30 – May 6^th. 

Over at Tales of a Mountain Mama we are working hard to help spread the word about such a worthwhile cause.  While we certainly believe technology is a wonderful and valuable resource, we also believe in turning off and letting nature be our greatest teacher. 

Because the blog obviously uses computers (and therefore screens) as the way to get the word out there, we decided to do our big event the week BEFORE (because we are turning off too** and want to do everything we can to encourage others to follow that lead!)  

Earlier this week, I posted an article over at Seattle Backpackers Magazine (GREAT publication if you haven't checked it out before!) with a little more information about the event and, more importantly, some ideas on how Screen Free can be adapted for your own family needs.

We know that it can be impossible to turn off for an entire week (and I mean more than just a battle of self-control!)  We just want the word to be out there and people to be thinking!

What this event Means for YOU:

- Daily inspiration and tips on how to get outside with your family safely throughout Screen Free Week.

- Link-ups to a number of hand-picked incredible bloggers who are also on-board and are sharing their own insights.

- Gear Giveaways daily (please bare with me on this one - there will be LOTS in an attempt to really gear up a BUNCH of different people!)  They will last ONLY 24 hours so check-in daily!
- Exclusive #extragear giveaways only offered on Facebook and Twitter (so be sure to follow!)

- A chance to gear up and be involved in a really great cause!

Want to Help??

- PLEASE feel free to jump in!  I will happily tweet/Facebook out links to your own blog posts about Screen Free (and ideas on what to do with all that extra time.)  This is a collaboration!

- If you DO tweet, please use hash tag #screenfree 

- If you are a company wanting to join in with hooking up some people with gear or you just have some more questions, email me at mountainmamatales(at)gmail(dot)com

- Spread the word!
Thank you!

Screen Free For a Week?!?!  We DARE you!

**We will be turning off screens completely except for a very short window (like 5-10 minutes) every day to check and respond to emails just so we don't leave anyone hanging.  So, if you need me, know that I WILL see your emails and will get back to you as soon as I can.**

*Guest Post* You Don’t Need Mountains to Get Outside and Play!

Errin joins us on the blog today with a perspective of a gal transplanted from the mountains she loves to the city to be with the family she loves even more.  She is full of great ideas on how to just get outside, no matter what (something we REALLY appreciate here!)  As always, make sure to check out her bio at the end of the post and leave her some love in the comments!

I’m forever a mountain girl at heart. I have loved them my entire life, since I was a little girl living in the foothills of Colorado and as a young twenty-something living in the San Juan Mountains of the breathtaking Southwest corner of Colorado. I feel different when I’m there – their sheer magnitude and beauty forbids me to sweat the small stuff. On any bad day or off day, all I had to do was head up one of the many trails with my dog and breathe in that crisp, clean mountain air and I was cured. There was never an excuse for not going out and playing outside – whether there was 3 feet of snow on the ground or a mid-summer afternoon rainstorm.

Little Errin :)

Durango, CO

My life eventually brought me back home to my family and my future husband, Dave, in the suburbs of Chicago. My heart would break from time to time when I thought about that magical, mountainous place I loved so much. And poor Dave has to listen to my incessant “the best place on Earth” blabbing. He says I should be a spokesperson for Durango. Or Colorado. Or just mountainous towns in general. I agree, mostly because then I’d have to live there, right?

Inspiration to Get Out There! (+ Gear Giveaway)

*Contest closed, Congratulations to Tanya, lucky #5! Don't forget to check out the promo code if you didn't win!*

It is no secret that we are huge proponents of getting outside and being active.  That is what this blog is all about....and it is the reason we put so much energy into it.  We believe whole-heartedly in the benefits of fresh air, exercise, and trying new things!  We want to inspire and be inspired.

Inspiration comes in all forms: challenges from those we love, challenges from those we imitate and admire, and challenges from nature as our bodies learn to move in different ways.

As a family, we tend to like to switch things up a bit with the seasons and on a whim.  We are ok with biking in the winter (because we can around here) and Mtn Papa always loves to get a ski in in June just to say he did (again, because we can!)

We also love to challenge each other with new interests....which also tends to result in more gear around here, but we live with the consequences...  I taught Mtn Papa how to skate ski, and he taught me all I know about backcountry alpine skiing.  We encourage each other to get a run in (or get back into running and hiking after babies) and individually and collaboratively support hikes off the trail, training for fun races and trying new sports.

Keeping things fresh and being supportive between spouses, family members and friends is key to continuing to get outside and remaining active.  I, personally, love the backcountry because it is always offering a new perspective, new views, and new challenges (and it is for the opposite reasons that I loathe the treadmill!)