**Just to make sure all winners from our "Gear Up Families for Screen Free" event properly receive their new gear, I WILL be checking my email daily VERY briefly (5 minutes tops) if you need to get a hold of me!**
Monday, April 30, 2012
We're Unplugged!
**Just to make sure all winners from our "Gear Up Families for Screen Free" event properly receive their new gear, I WILL be checking my email daily VERY briefly (5 minutes tops) if you need to get a hold of me!**
Saturday, April 28, 2012
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.
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!)
---------------------------------------------------
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.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Get Outside and PLAY! + Gear up Day 5!
Welcome to Day 5 of "Gearing Up Families to go Screen Free"! If this is your first time hearing about the event, please check out our updated tab here. Make sure you check out the giveaways at the end of this post (they are ONLY open for 24 hours- midnight to midnight EST!)
The importance of PLAY for all ages
There is no replacement for the outdoors as THE playground for kids and adults alike. Gross motor skills are developed through running, jumping, climbing and exploring. Motor manipulation skills are improved while passing a ball or pushing a friend on the swing. Fresh air alleviates stress and brings peace. The ever-changing environment outdoors challenges on a mental level too while discovering insects, birds, the movement of dirt and the speed and direction of winds (which we know about all-to-well around here!)
If you are new here, you may not know how strongly we promote a "15 minute" rule. We are outside EVERY day for AT LEAST 15 minutes (though usually much, much longer.) There are a few exceptions, of course, but we know how related our outdoor time is to the happiness of our family.
We believe recess is crucial (even for home-schooled kids, kids not yet in school AND adults) and love what Keen is doing through their RECESS promotion (check it out if you haven't seen it yet!) is changing workplaces.
There is no replacement for the outdoors as THE playground for kids and adults alike. Gross motor skills are developed through running, jumping, climbing and exploring. Motor manipulation skills are improved while passing a ball or pushing a friend on the swing. Fresh air alleviates stress and brings peace. The ever-changing environment outdoors challenges on a mental level too while discovering insects, birds, the movement of dirt and the speed and direction of winds (which we know about all-to-well around here!)
If you are new here, you may not know how strongly we promote a "15 minute" rule. We are outside EVERY day for AT LEAST 15 minutes (though usually much, much longer.) There are a few exceptions, of course, but we know how related our outdoor time is to the happiness of our family.
We believe recess is crucial (even for home-schooled kids, kids not yet in school AND adults) and love what Keen is doing through their RECESS promotion (check it out if you haven't seen it yet!) is changing workplaces.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Move Your Body + Gear Up Day 4!
Welcome to Day 4 of "Gearing Up Families to go Screen Free"! If this is your first time hearing about the event, please check out our updated tab here. Make sure you check out the giveaways at the end of this post (they are ONLY open for 24 hours- midnight to midnight EST!)
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has standards for what adults (aged 18-64) and children (aged 6-17) need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
For Children:
- 60 minutes a day of activity (most of this should be moderate to vigorous intensity)
- Include strength-building activities 3 days a week (push-ups, gymnastics, climbing, etc.)
- Include bone-strengthening activities 3 days a week (jumping rope, running, etc.)
For Adults:
- 2.5 hours of moderate activity every week OR 1.25 hours of vigorous activity every week
- AND muscle-strengthening on 2+ days a week that include all major muscle groups.
In my humble opinion, these minimum standards they are just that - minimums. As a family, we work hard to get our hearts pumping hard daily (and hope to encourage others to do that too through this blog.) We find it crucial for our health AND our peace of mind and good attitude.
Spring has sprung (mostly...) and it is a great time to get outdoors for exercise. The fresh air has incredible benefits to add to the perks of exercise (including just happier people in general!)
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has standards for what adults (aged 18-64) and children (aged 6-17) need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
For Children:
- 60 minutes a day of activity (most of this should be moderate to vigorous intensity)
- Include strength-building activities 3 days a week (push-ups, gymnastics, climbing, etc.)
- Include bone-strengthening activities 3 days a week (jumping rope, running, etc.)
For Adults:
- 2.5 hours of moderate activity every week OR 1.25 hours of vigorous activity every week
- AND muscle-strengthening on 2+ days a week that include all major muscle groups.
In my humble opinion, these minimum standards they are just that - minimums. As a family, we work hard to get our hearts pumping hard daily (and hope to encourage others to do that too through this blog.) We find it crucial for our health AND our peace of mind and good attitude.
Spring has sprung (mostly...) and it is a great time to get outdoors for exercise. The fresh air has incredible benefits to add to the perks of exercise (including just happier people in general!)
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
*Guest Blogger* Taking Young Kids into the Wilderness + Gear Up Day 3
Welcome to Day 3 of "Gearing Up Families to go Screen Free"! If this is your first time hearing about the event, please check out our updated tab here. Make sure you check out the giveaways at the end of this post (they are ONLY open for 24 hours - midnight to midnight EST!)
I am so honored to be a part of Michael Lanza's blog tour introducing his new book: "Before They're Gone." I have admired his writing and lifestyle for a while now and his stories are some of my favorites.
"Before They're Gone" is a gripping book that will inspire you to get out with your own family just a little bit more. Even this mama (who can hardly stay awake at night to read ANY books) couldn't put it down. Lanza will make you think a little more about our National Parks, the future of our children and why the little things just don't matter.
He agreed to join us in this Screen Free event so today we celebrate him, his book AND gearing up families! As usual when we have guests, check out his bio at the end of his post and feel free to leave him some love. Also, please note that we are giving away a copy of "Before They're Gone" today too (among a pile of other great gear to help you get outside and hiking with your family)!
Then I looked down at my
seven-year-old daughter, Alex, four feet tall and 50 pounds and exuding an
innocent faith that her dad, holding her hand tightly, would guide her safely
across that scary traverse—and the next, and the next, and so on for more than
a mile and nearly a thousand vertical feet on our descent of the Grandview
Trail, which zigzags across wildly exposed ledges on its steep drop into the
Grand Canyon.
I am so honored to be a part of Michael Lanza's blog tour introducing his new book: "Before They're Gone." I have admired his writing and lifestyle for a while now and his stories are some of my favorites.
"Before They're Gone" is a gripping book that will inspire you to get out with your own family just a little bit more. Even this mama (who can hardly stay awake at night to read ANY books) couldn't put it down. Lanza will make you think a little more about our National Parks, the future of our children and why the little things just don't matter.
He agreed to join us in this Screen Free event so today we celebrate him, his book AND gearing up families! As usual when we have guests, check out his bio at the end of his post and feel free to leave him some love. Also, please note that we are giving away a copy of "Before They're Gone" today too (among a pile of other great gear to help you get outside and hiking with your family)!
I paused and stared at the trail ahead of us. Barely more
than a foot wide and plastered in hard-packed snow and ice, it clung to the
face of a cliff with a sheer drop-off to one side of hundreds of feet.
That was in the last week of March
2010, a bit premature for backpacking into the world’s most famous canyon
precisely because of the likelihood of encountering ice on trails at the rim. But
it was also our kids’ spring break from school, and we didn’t want to wait
until they were out of school, in June, when the inner canyon would be too
broiling hot for this 29-mile, four-day trek from Grandview Point to the South
Kaibab Trailhead.
Despite our concerns—heightened after
a ranger at the park’s backcountry desk told us that the Grandview Trail was
“treacherous” with ice and snow—my wife, Penny, and I decided we could do this
hike safely with our kids. I had microspikes—mini-crampons with small metal
points that slip over backpacking boots—for myself, Penny, and our
nine-year-old son, Nate (whom I nonetheless guided across every narrow, icy
section). But I didn’t have spikes small enough for Alex’s boots.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Hydration & Nourishment on the Trail + Gear up Day 2
Welcome to Day 2 of "Gearing Up Families to go Screen Free"! If this is your first time hearing about the event, please check out our updated tab here. Make sure you check out the giveaways at the end of this post (they are ONLY open for 24 hours- midnight to midnight EST!)
Proper hydration and nourishment are crucial all the time, but especially while you are outside being active. Sun, wind, sweat-loss, energy-used and altitude all contribute to the importance of keeping your body running smoothly. by being properly fed and hydrated. While the subject is vast, I want to address at least parts of it in the light of a full week of lots of active time outside (right?!?! :)) next week.
**Hydrate Up!**
Water accounts for nearly 60% of our total body mass. Therefore, it obviously plays a huge role in how our body runs and performs. Way too many people just don't get enough water, plain and simple. Unfortunately, the long-term effects of severe dehydration are pretty serious and could eventually lead to death in extreme cases. On the upside, a well-hydrated adult/child feels the benefits of:
- Better blood flow
- Higher energy levels
- Decreased muscle soreness after exercise
- More attentiveness and an easier time concentrating
- Healthy kidneys
- Body temperature regulation (which is HUGE as we head into the summer months.)
 |
| Photo courtesy of Jenny |
**Hydrate Up!**
Water accounts for nearly 60% of our total body mass. Therefore, it obviously plays a huge role in how our body runs and performs. Way too many people just don't get enough water, plain and simple. Unfortunately, the long-term effects of severe dehydration are pretty serious and could eventually lead to death in extreme cases. On the upside, a well-hydrated adult/child feels the benefits of:
- Better blood flow
- Higher energy levels
- Decreased muscle soreness after exercise
- More attentiveness and an easier time concentrating
- Healthy kidneys
- Body temperature regulation (which is HUGE as we head into the summer months.)
Signs of Mild Dehydration (don't let it go further than this!):
- Dry mouth
- Fatigue
- Head rush
- Dark/yellow urine (you should "pee clear"!)
- Chills
- Dry Skin
- Thirst (Do you know when you feel thirsty you are actually already too dehydrated?!?!)
- Constipation
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Our "No Cotton" Philosophy + Gear-Up Day 1
We are so thrilled to welcome you to the first day of "Gearing Up Families to go Screen Free"! If this is your first time hearing about the event, please check out our updated tab here. Make sure you check out the giveaways at the end of this post (they are ONLY open for 24 hours (midnight to midnight EST!)
If you have spent much time outdoors or around "outdoorsy" people, you will hear a lot about the fact that cotton is really the worst thing you could wear. But, naturally, people question the reasoning behind that (because MOST of us have wardrobes comprised of mostly cotton.)
Because today's focus is a lot about what to wear outdoors, I wanted to highlight a bunch of those reasons behind the "No Cotton" philosophy...even for family outings!
First of all, cotton is fine when in dry, hot weather. It does a great job at keeping us cool and can easily be saturated with water and then worn to fight off hot temperatures. The trouble starts when the temperatures start dropping (which can happen with just the sun going down or clouds rolling in.)
 |
| P post-ski stripped back down to his Icebreaker base layers (Merino Wool) |
Because today's focus is a lot about what to wear outdoors, I wanted to highlight a bunch of those reasons behind the "No Cotton" philosophy...even for family outings!
First of all, cotton is fine when in dry, hot weather. It does a great job at keeping us cool and can easily be saturated with water and then worn to fight off hot temperatures. The trouble starts when the temperatures start dropping (which can happen with just the sun going down or clouds rolling in.)
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