*GIVEAWAY* Gear OFF the trail....

I am a big proponent in gear that performs (and really have no interest in products that don't do their job and serve a function.)  My "fashion" sense revolves around performance clothing and "performance accessories" (bags, etc.)  Instead of having a million pairs of shoes or fancy purses like some women, I have a lot of coats, bags and boots that work for  me.  They handle dirt and abuse well.  That is just how I work because I want to continue getting outside!

I love Kavu purses and have used them for years and years.  I contacted them to see if they would be interested in sponsoring a giveaway (so I could share the love!) and they generously agreed and sent me two bags to give away + 1 for me to review.

Bag #1 - Secret Squirrel

Outside. Every day.

We have a rule in our family - 15 minutes of outside time daily no matter what the weather is.  Usually this is super easy to accomplish (and is followed by hours more) but sometimes we can just barely stand it.  When that Wyoming wind starts whipping along with blowing snow, 15 minutes feels like a long time.  Thanks to great gear, determined parents and hearty kids we can do it safely.  Crazy to think we are headed into that season of winter weather (not that I mind a bit!)

Today we spent as a family working and playing as we got another load of firewood and then finished off with a good tromp through the woods.  J was a trooper and hiked most of the way himself, climbing over the logs and sticks and trees in his way.  Husband and I spent some time trying to figure out what that horrible smell was - we were alert and watching for bears and elk (because they both tend to smell musty and downright yucky....)  The mystery was solved when J was loaded onto Husband's shoulders for a break and we realized his diaper was loaded too.  Whew - that will keep ALL the animals away!

And because clear fall days have been so beautiful here lately....

Can you find the ball J just threw for Katmai in this picture??

Winner!

Ginger H., you are the winner of the Patemm Pad! Thanks for commenting on the blog!  Hope you love it and it sees lots of adventures!
Congratulations!
I sent you an email!

This Moment

* No words necessary, just a precious moment. *

Summer - Short and Sweet!

I am not a fan of the heat.  I would rather be cold a million times over than be hot.  My theory is you can always add another layer if you are cold, but if you are hot, you are just out of luck (there are only so many layers you can take off!)  Living at 7000 feet, we don't have TOO many days that stop me in my tracks (thanks to the dry climate) but July and August are usually plenty hot enough for me (must be my Alaskan blood!)

However, it still amazes me that we (meaning Husband and J) were skiing in June (this adventure taken less than a week before P was born...I adventured by going along and waiting in the car :/ ) and we had our first snow this past weekend.  That means we had three months snow-free (barely since made it JUST into October before snow) and I have to mention that it is not unheard of for it to snow on the 4th of July.  I love the crazy weather patterns living in the mountains!

p.s. It was 78 degrees two days before it snowed. :)

Heading out to Ski Two Ocean (J slept the whole way up and giggled the whole way down!)

Not the best snow, but Husband loves saying he skied in June! :)

It was super warm this day - J was toasty in just his snowsuit and his BumGenius! :)

*Guest Post* Camping in a Hurricane!

Hurricane weather is the best kind for camping with babies.

I should clarify: the day before a hurricane is the best time to take babies into the woods.  All that warm tropical air being pushed ahead of the storm made our October camping trip one of the warmest I have ever taken, at any time of the year.

My daughter, Sylvia, is almost 18 months old.  It was high time she spent a night in a tent.  We were not exactly roughing it: there was a double stroller, a bottle of wine and a hammock.  But this was car-camping.  There's time enough to take her into the backcountry (next year!)  We made it an all-girl trip; my friend and her daughter of a similar age joined us.

I didn't know what to expect from the kids, but I knew Sylvia would adapt well enough.  I've never balked at taking her anywhere.  I don't believe children should limit your adventuring or experiences in any way.  I've always believed this.  I doubly believe it now that I have my own daughter, so Sylvia is well used to new surroundings.  As long as she's got snacks, she's happy!  I was hoping the rain would stay at bay, because tenting in the rain is no great picnic at any age.  The rain did stay away, and any concerns I had about not having a walled and roofed shelter were quickly allayed by the balmy weather and brilliant starry sky.

If Sylvia had the language skills to express herself, I can imagine her saying something like this:

"Outside? 24/7?  Why, this is just the natural order of things, Mommy!"

Sylvia eating one of "Those Cookies"

Magic Muffins

When we are out adventuring, I really HAVE to have food with us or things just never go well.  I will often grab a bunch of fruit and some granola bars, but sometimes we want something different...  I have made and brought these muffins a few times and they always go over well (in a the-entire-batch-is-gone-in-a-day way.)  They just have to travel in a container of some kind to avoid smashing (less trash that way too!)  I found the recipe here and improvised a bit.  I doubled the batch and then froze half of them.

This is the recipe I used:

1 cup wheat flour (again, that Prairie Gold that is a light wheat flour)
2 T wheat germ
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats (we buy them by the 50 lb. bag)
1/4 cup bran flakes cereal
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. ground cinnamon
a dash of other spices (nutmeg, ginger, etc.)
pinch of salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 T. olive oil
2 t. vanilla extract
2/3 c. + 1 T. milk
1/2 cup grated squash
1/2 cup cooked chopped spinach
1/2 cup grated, chopped carrots
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup craisins
1 finely chopped apple.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line your muffin pans (I actually used stoneware ones so no lining needed.)

Whisk the dry ingredients.
Whisk the wet ingredients (minus the fruits and veggies)
Add the wet ingredients (plus the fruits and veggies) and stir until just blended.

Bake for about 20 minutes (or until done....depends on the size of muffins you are making) and cool.

Hide from all family members until the adventuring begins. :)

Yes, my kid IS the one with the dirty face....