*Guest Post* Fall is Better Than Spring + Book Review

We were out backpacking this fall when a friend of mine asked a question. “What do you like better? Spring or fall?” I looked around me. Birch trees, cottonwood trees, fireweed, and cranberry bushes, all shining their best fall colors. The air smelled sweet of berries and felt crisp on our faces. What could be better? “Fall”, I shouted out, “fall is my favorite.” Then a kid piped up, “I like spring better because then I know summer is coming.” Touché. Leave it to a kid to be logical about the matter. But to say spring is better than fall because summer follows spring implies that winter is the lesser of the seasons. This is where I beg to differ.

Great Kids Gear (Adventuring for Christmas!) + Baby Banz Giveaway

Our kids always benefit from some great gear for Christmas along with the "fun" stuff.  (Not that gear isn't fun, because it definitely means fun adventures!)  We are strong believers in the idea that great gear = happy kids and fun times!  It is absolutely worth the money for us.  We give each other gear for holidays, we give them gear.  And then we go play!  We thought it would be fun to make a list of the gear that we personally love to share with you.  And yes, we understand that this list does not exhaust all the possiblities and we would LOVE to hear your own opinions or suggestions in the comments!

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A bunch of other Outdoor Mamas are also doing holiday guide posts today!  Check them out:

*Family Holiday Gifts for Cyclists from Velo Mom

*A Wishlist for Cragbabies from Cragmama

*Christmas Gift Ideas - The 5 pieces of gear we take everywhere from Bring the Kids

*Gifts for Outdoor Families from Outside Mom

*Tis the Gift Giving Season - Suggestions for Skiing Families from Brave Ski Mom

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And since it is Cyber Monday, I am including links to most of the gear (because a ton of it is on sale so don't miss it!)

Molehill Mittens and Booties

We have quite honestly had some struggles finding warm enough mittens for J.  However, we are super impressed with Molehill.  We bought some mittens last year that were much too big for J, but used them to layer other smaller mittens under (and could even fit in a handwarmer between the mittens last year).  Molehill graciously sent us some thumb-less ones to review for P this year and we love them too.  They are warm, stay on and have a waterproof shell. P wears them layered under his snowsuit when it is colder out (and yep, plenty of room to grow!).  Molehill also makes some awesome booties that fit over shoes and add another layer of warmth.  P is still small for them, but we are able to put them over his shoes and under his snowsuit.  He is wearing them in the picture below and a better picture is above this paragraph.

Bear (or animal in general) Hat
I always thought animal hats for kids were silly.  They are kids, not animals.  But J LOVES this hat.  And I cannot tell you how many complements he gets on it (mostly from jealous adults, believe it or not!)  It covers his ears very well, keeps him warm and makes him growl.  We found the hat in Jackson at Skinny Skis (one of our favorite shops!)

J Wearing Bear Hat, Baby Banz Sunglasses, Patagonia Puff Coat and Molehill Mittens

This Moment

*No words necessary, just a precious moment.*

Kid-Co PeaPod and PeaPod Plus Review plus *Giveaway!*

**Closed!  Congratulations, Nichole S. - you are the winner thanks to Mr. Random (lucky #4!) Email me to claim your prize!!!!**


Happy, Happy Thanksgiving!  Don't worry - I am far from the computer today running the Turkey Trot in Jackson and spending time with family, but wanted to share this excellent travel solution before Black Friday hit (just in case... :))

Yesterday Stephanie talked about a list of her go-to items for traveling with kids.  On the top of that list was the Kid-Co PeaPod.  After getting the opportunity to try one out ourselves (and a Peapod Plus too!) we whole-heartedly agree it is a must-have.

The purpose of both the PeaPod and the Peapod Plus is to provide an alternative to a bulky Pack 'n Play when you are traveling (or backpacking or camping).  We love this because quite honestly, our minivan (high five to all the mini-van families out there) is filled to the brim with other gear nearly every time we leave the house.  It is a bit embarrassing that with just two kids + a dog + kid carriers + Chariot + skis + coats, gloves, hats, and snowsuits +  cloth diapers + snacks = a VERY full load.  Not sure what we will do if we have any more kids...

We also love that kids feel like they are camping when they are in the tents (and sleeping bags are just the natural sleeping arrangement when you are in a tent.)  We usually give J a flashlight too just to add to the ambiance (plus, it's fun!)

Kid-Co generously sent us both a PeaPod and a PeaPod Plus so we could compare them.

*Guest Post* Adventure Baby!

*Giveaway closed! Congratulations, Caroline M. - check your inbox!*

I am thrilled to introduce you to Stephanie on the blog today.  Stephanie is the owner of one of my very favorite shops in Jackson, Backcountry Baby. Backcountry Baby was created to help parents simplify the adventure of parenting. Specializing in travel gear, cloth diapers and baby wearing gear. They've got all the essentials covered (plus some fun goodies!) Stop by at 245 W. Pearl St in Jackson or online at www.backcountry-baby.com (their online shop just went live).  


She has some super valuable tips for traveling with babies and kids, especially during the holidays (and make sure you read all the way to the end of the post for a chance to win something on her "must have" list!)

Introducing the 2012 Kelty Pathfinder 3.0

We were SUPER excited when Kelty agreed to let us be some of the very first people to try out the new Pathfinder 3.0 (just released in January 2012.)  We are going to introduce the pack here (but please excuse our (VERY) amateur video skills!) and then update this post with additional thoughts as we use it throughout the year.

In general, we are super impressed.  It is a FAR cry from the 16 year old L.L. Bean pack we have used with J the past 2.5 years (though that is an unfair comparison as the technology has advanced incredibly since then,) and has a bunch of awesome features that currently make it our favorite pack for P.  Watch the blog in the coming weeks for our review of the Deuter Kid Carrier III (our favorite kid carrier for J.)

15 minutes IS enough...

Well this weekend it happened.  J was too sick to get outside for a day (for the first time in his life.)  High fevers and chest congestion did it for me.  The cold air was not going to help him.  Sad for all of us.

I thought I would take the opportunity to mention that even though I DO believe that being outside every day for just a bit is crucial, there are, of course, exceptions.

This was one of them.

However, after he started feeling better a couple of days later and his fever broke (and breathing wasn't so difficult) he was out there.  For just a few minutes.  He was desperate to try out his new snowshoes we found for him so he did (good indication he was feeling a little better!)  For 10 minutes.  And then he was done.  And that was ok!

I have to be clear that while our family LOVES being outside, we are also responsible parents and the health and safety of our family is very first.

And because poor-boy was just too cute:

Done (and happy with Daddy!)

In other news, you can find Tales of a Mountain Mama at our own domain now (though the old one will automatically redirect you.) www.talesofamountainmama.com

I am also guesting today over at Adventure Tykes.  Come check it out - fun camping memories!