*Guest Post* Testing the limits: My day on the slopes with baby

I am so excited to welcome Alizah to the blog today! She echos our belief that kids should be outside and adventuring.  Feel free to join in the discussion in the comments and leave her some feedback.  We can't wait to hear what you have to say. =) Amelia (AKA Mountain Mama)

My son Kiko was 7 ½ months old the first – and last – time I took him downhill skiing. We didn’t fall, we weren’t scared, we didn’t get cold, or sunburned, or slip off the chairlift, or hit a tree. To the contrary, the hours we spent skiing the slopes of Wachusett Mountain in Massachusetts were some of the happiest in my memory. So why, you might ask, wouldn’t I want to do it again? The answer has less to do with my skills, my skis, or my son than with the other skiers on the slopes. What began as a recreational activity for our family ended as a strange and somewhat alienating social experience in which we seemingly became an object of attention and conversation on the mountain. With bubbly excitement we started skiing at 10:30 AM. By 12:30 PM I was weary of the experience and suggested to my husband that we call it quits and head back to the car. Let me explain what happened…

It was a sunny morning in March 2009. The temps were up, the snow conditions perfect. It was mid-week, meaning that the slopes were relatively clear. We did our homework before by calling the resort and asking if they allowed skiing with babies. The man we spoke to was enthusiastic, saying, “No one ever asks us that. We think it’s really cool you want to bring your baby skiing, do come!” Wow, I thought, such a warm welcome, how could we possibly turn it down?

YMX by Yellowman Review and *Giveaway*

I was contacted a few months back about reviewing a shirt from a company I had never heard of.  I decided to go for it (because I personally believe there is some GREAT gear out there from little-known sources!)  So glad I did....

YMX by Yellowman was launched in 2009 to bring athletic clothing donned with "tattoo-like" works of art to adventurers everywhere.  Quite honestly, I am not a tattoo-loving gal.  It's just not my style.  However, I tend to wear my athletic clothes on a daily basis and am always looking for something that has a little more style than the typical base layers.

YMX sent me a Winter Flower Sport Jersey to test out.  Retailing for $119, the jersey boasts a UPF of 50+ and has three back pockets for keeping things safe.  I personally didn't find that a water bottle was secure enough in the pockets, but keys and a cell phone would be held in easily with the elastic top.

I tested the jersey both XC skiing and running (and then would wear it the rest of the day....shhhhh - don't tell!)  I like the flower design and feel it adds a little bit to my normal active wear.

What I liked:
- The jersey is thin enough to provide an extra layer of warmth while still remaining light enough for warmer days.

- The zip top allows some flexibility with coverage.  I preferred to wear mine not zipped to the top, but I do think it is comfortable either way (especially depending on conditions.)

- It is nice to have pockets sometimes out on a run!

- It breathes well and wicks sweat.

Not so crazy about:
- It is nice to have a design on the shirt, but as it stretches, the design obviously fades a bit with the extension of the fibers and tends to not be as flattering.  I thought that fading made it look like it was less of a quality shirt than it actually is.

- I like that the top is thin, but find that I use it as a base layer and usually the design is hidden.  YMX does state that it is sized to be fitted, so if you want to wear it on top of other layers, sizing up is a must.

You can find YMX by Yellowman on their facebook page and on twitter.  They also sell their products in stores around the country (just not in WY!)

YMX has been generous in the fact that they have offered to send one of you a Winter Flower Sport Jersey of your own (keep it or pass it on to a friend/family member!)  Use the rafflecopter below to enter (if you can't see it, just refresh your page!)  As always, make sure you do the task and then click the button to show you have done it!  Questions?  Feel free to email me at mountainmamatales@gmail.com a Rafflecopter giveaway

Why We Unplug

We are absolutely bombarded in our society with technology, easy access to the internet and the challenges of being "sucked in" to the instant gratification of all the social media avenues and various search engines and news headlines.

Our family is not exempt (J was happily using a cell phone at a super young age and now knows how to navigate the iPad way better than seems possible for a kid who is hardly ever using it.)

While we have yet to leave behind our "free phones" for a smart phone (mostly because the service in our area is horrible and WY in general has plenty of dead spots,) we have 3 computers, an iPod Touch and an iPad.  To some this may not seem like much, but for us it means that coupled with our wireless internet, we can check email/facebook/blog, etc. etc. any time we want.  I seldom nurse P without perusing the latest happenings on the internet.

This Moment...

**No words necessary, just a precious moment.**

Seattle Backpackers Article

Come check us out over at Seattle Backpackers Magazine!

Kids in the Winter: Innocent Trust and Love for the Outdoors

*We'd love to hear your feedback in the comments!*

Columbia OMNI-HEAT (Women's Triple Trail Shell Review)

As a family, we have been big fans of Columbia for quite some time.  P wears a down bunting that has been incredible for keeping him (and J as a baby) warm.  Husband FINALLY let me pass on his Columbia coat to someone else who may need it that he got TWENTY years ago (seriously, no exaggeration here!)

We were thrilled that Columbia chose us to review some of their latest gear.  Since this could be a super long post, I am going to split it up a little bit.  This post will focus on the jacket they sent me and later this week you will see a review of the men's side, thanks to Husband!

Introducing the Women's Triple Trail Shell (in the "Leapfrog" color)
Note: some of the photos here WILL be repeats since I have been wearing my shell on nearly every adventure we have taken for the past 2+ months!

Making the Most of Failed Outings...

Yesterday was gorgeous.  It was the last day of vacation for us (meaning Daddy home!) and we were bound and determined to make the most of it (which meant not worrying about the state of the house at all and just getting outside.)  I, personally, was determined to ignore the signs of flu that had been nagging at me for the past 4 days.

We packed the boys up (no small feat) and made our way to skate ski into Brooks Lake Lodge (mentioned here in a previous post) for lunch.  On the drive out we commented on how perfect the day was.  This was to be our third time skiing into the lodge, but my first time NOT pregnant (and I was PSYCHED!!)

However, things didn't go as planned (and this time it wasn't because of the KIDS!)

If you have skate skied before, you know it is a lot of work.  I LOVE it, but getting my heart rate up was triggering my gag-reflux (along with flu aches and pains) and, determined as I was, there was no way I was going to make it the 5 miles in.

And so we bailed.  And then we had to explain to J WHY we weren't going to eat lunch that day at Brooks Lake.

To be honest, I was SUPER bummed.  I kept thinking it MUST be all in my head and I could certainly make it (I had done it 6 months pregnant before easily!)  I am stubborn like that.

Instead of just heading home right away, "Super Dad" helped J play in the snow (which he loved, of course) while I got my bearings back sitting in the car with P.

Sitting there, I was finally able to see that in reality, this wasn't a failure at all.  We were out there.  We got a 3.5 mile ski in (instead of the 10 we originally planned.)  The kids got to play in the snow and we were spending time as a family.  And those are the most important things of all.

Lesson of the day: Take account of the small accomplishments and enjoy them.  They certainly DO count!