Author Archives: Shawna

Love Bug Valentines

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Procrastination is my friend today. It saved us from lame valentines this year. I’ve been meaning to take the kids to the store with me to pick up some Sponge Bob ones, Phineas and Ferb or maybe those animals with the bobble heads and ginormous eyeballs.

Thankfully I kept putting it off and while cruising the internet last night I came across this unique nature inspired one from Dandee Designs.

Aren’t they cute! I think my boys’ classmates will love getting their own little love bug. But we decided to create our own version of the above valentine because my boys didn’t like the idea of calling their buddies “love bug”. Can’t let their soft side show I guess.

Here’s what I did. I went to Graphics Fairy, it’s a site full of free vintage images, and found this jar image. Then I erased some lines and added some text in Picnik. Here’s the final result.

Here’s How To Make Your LOVE BUG Valentines Using This Free Printable:

  1. Right click the image above and save it to your computer.
  2. Open a new word document.
  3. Change the page layout to landscape
  4. Insert the saved image into the document twice, so there are two jars by each other on one page. (You’ll get 2 valentines per page.)
  5. Print onto card stock.
  6. Cut out the jars. We cut straight lines with my fiskars paper trimmer. It was too much work to cut around the jar. And remember we procrastinated, so time is valuable.
  7. Hot glue the bugs onto the valentine. (I got a variety of bugs in a package in the “party favors” section of Walmart. They were $6.)

The boys did all the hot gluing…I know dangerous! And then I tortured them by making them write their name 30+ times. I was going to just print it on the valentine with the computer but that would be too easy, they need to work on their penmanship!

Now if bugs aren’t your thing here are some other creative valentines that made the top of my list.

Seriously cool…I mean who wouldn’t want a fuzzy mustache. These actually come off the picture and you can wear them on your face! I was thinking of cutting them out of felt and then using double sided tape.

This one has a free printable and I saw bouncy balls in the “party favors” section of Walmart too.

So if you’ve procrastinated in buying your valentines this year you’re in LUCK like us! Your kids will be handing out the coolest ones in class. Have a Happy Valentines Day everybody!!!


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Snow Biking And Modifying Your Ride

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Meet Elijah…He is from the outdoor recreation capital of Jackson Hole, WY. His bike ride to school each morning is different from most kids. It usually involves temps below zero and snow packed roads. His ride is modified with homemade studded tires compliments of his adventure prone dad.

Elijah and his buddy wear full face helmets to protect their faces from the ice and packed snow that is ideal to ride on.

“We got fat mountain bike tires and screwed broken (cut off) screws through the tire from the inside then mounted and inserted the tube. You have to be careful because these things can rip your pant leg (or maybe car upholstery if you put them in).”

Modifying your bike tires to ride on the snow isn’t your only option. Snow friendly bikes are now on the market. They’re known as fat bikes. The frame is built to accommodate a much wider tire, up to 4 inches.

Snow biking is rapidly growing in popularity in the Jackson area. Nearby ski resort Grand Targhee is the first in the U.S. to endorse snow biking on their nordic trail system. And Snow King ski resort directly in the middle of Jackson will be hosting a snow mountain bike race this weekend February 11th.

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If you’re nearer to sandy beaches than you are to snowy mountains no worries. Fat bikes are ideal for sand riding too. Here’s a vid to wet your appetite…

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Looks fun eh! If our tax returns weren’t already spoken for this would be a nice addition to our recreation gear.

Here’s a big thanks to Elijah’s mom for sharing the pics and info and supporting a healthy extreme sport addiction in her kids!

Have you ever ridden a Fat Bike? Your thoughts?

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Digital Detox Coming Right Up

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“Dinner’s ready”…”DINNER’S READY!”….”GET DOWN HERE NOW BEFORE I FEED THE DOG YOUR DINNER!!!”.

I’ve found myself having to do this more and more each evening because my family is usually consumed in the movie they are watching, the video game they’re playing or the website they’re scouring.

Now I can’t put it all on them, I have my moments of screen consumption as well. But lately I’ve been bugged by it much more. I’ve become aware of the conversations with no eye contact, the “huhs and whats”, and the frustrating need to repeat things. And this is coming from a household where screen time is monitored and getting outdoors is encouraged greatly.

All this screen time and its side effects is causing concern to more than just me. Did you know there is now a  National Day of Unplugging to urge everyone to step away from the screen. This year its set for March 23-24. I encourage you to look into it. It might be something you and your family may want to experiment with.

The latest research by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that the average child in the U.S. between 8 and 18 now watches more than 7 1/2 hours of entertainment media per day! And in recent years technology has provided us with multiple forms of screen opportunities in our home. And it’s no secret that it contributes to obesity. It’s hard for me to watch a movie without something to snack on in the process. And it just feels good to be lazy sometimes.

Click on this link and Watch these obesity trends change from 1985 to 2010. This amazing visual is provided by the CDC. In 2010 some states reported having up to 34% of its population being obese. Colorado was reported having the lowest obese population at 21%…anybody else want to relocate? :)

Here’s another obesity visual for you but this is specific to children and adolescents rather than adults:

That steady incline is hard to ignore. But it’s not fair to say all screen time is bad. I think I heard it somewhere that it’s like saying an ax is bad because you can kill someone with it. When in reality an ax can be used to cut firewood to stay warm or build a home to protect you. To me it all comes down to monitoring your time and use.

Here Are Some Ideas For Digital Detox:

  • Put digital devices like phones in a basket during dinner and have a real conversation.
  • Set aside specific screen time. (use an egg timer or you’ll enter the black hole of no return)
  • Unplug more on Sunday so you can reboot refreshed at the beginning of the week.
  • Say these four words…”Go Outside And Play”

Now as far as dinner time is concerned, I think I’ll be serving up a little digital detox of my own if they don’t come the first time I call. I’ll just save my breath and take my utility scissors to the cord…mwahahaha (evil mom laugh).

How do you monitor your families time and use of digital devices?

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Birthdays And No Regrets

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Our oldest son recently turned 10 and my husband and I have been shaking our heads at how fast the time has gone. He’s been our little ally in our outdoor adventures from the very beginning.

I can’t help but wonder what the third picture in this series will look like 10 years from now. Where will he be? What knowledge and values will he seek after?

Parenting is a humbling business. I’m far from knowing what it’s all about. But what I do know is this: we’ve never regretted the decision we made when our son came into our lives, that we would keep exploring the natural world and expose him to all it has to offer. I really think he’s come to love and identify with nature as we have. And that’s the first step in taking care of it.

What’s one thing you never regret doing with your children?

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Latest And Greatest Kids Gear For 2012

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Twice a year we make our way to Salt Lake City to search out the latest and greatest kids gear at the Outdoor Retailer. It’s where big names like Northface and the not so recognized little guys gather to reveal their new lines and inventions. So if you have a local outdoor shop you like, odds are they’re going to this event to see whats new and buy stock to fill their store. Here’s the list of gear that got our juices flowing during this years winter market.

Stainless Steal Baby Bottle – Klean Kanteen is famous for its line of stainless steal drinking containers and now they’re introducing baby bottles. The line includes a 5 and 9 oz. bottle and three different types of nipples. It can also double as a snack container.

Redesigned Kids Climbing Shoe - Mad Rock has had their fun mad monkey kids climbing shoe around for a while but they just released a new design which makes it more comfortable and user friendly. Priced at an affordable $39.

Kids Snowshoes - Redfeather has some kid specific snowshoes available that fit your toddler to your teenager. $35-$95

Infant and Baby merino wool base layer - stemming from more of a boutique scene are these beautiful infant and baby wool base layers from Nui Organic. The priceline is high but the look and functionality are there. Some of the line is a mix of merino and silk…mmmm yummy.

piggy backpack - This is a similar idea as the piggyback rider we introduced to you last summer but it has an integrated seat for whoever you give a ride to. The pack itself looks a little cumbersome and a bit too heavy but the creator assured us their working on another prototype.

Toddler Ski Helmet - Lucky Bums has a new ski helmet line for kids coming out next fall that features an appealing shape, easy adjustability and great graphics. The toddler helmet especially made my heart melt. This new line will cost a bit more than its original. [image coming soon]

Stylish Rain And Snow Suits - Ducksday is not available in the US as of now but their rain and snowsuits have spread across 100 countries already. And I can see why. The fabrics and designs used are parent and kid friendly. I loved the entire line which is spreading to snow gloves and summer wear!  I’ll let you know when you can get your hands on them.

Gear Hauler That Can Be Pulled By A Car - No longer do you need the huge SUV or truck to get your family, gear and toys to your destination. The Road Warrior is a multi functional light weight sport trailer that can be pulled by any 4 cylinder vehicle. It comes with a sleek looking outer shell but can be used to haul firewood just as easily as your camping gear.

Osprey child carrier - Osprey packs are a favorite of many so when they announced they were coming out with a child carrier I had to see it in person.

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Tough But Cute Girls Winter Boots - Baffin is known for its heavy duty winter boots. Their kids boots usually have a masculine look to them with non-gender colors. This fall they’re introducing a more feminine line of girls boots without sacrificing that well known toughness. They’ve added a more girl friendly sole, cute colors and snowflakes!

[image coming soon]

Funky New Styles From Sanuk - Sanuk’s new line for kids didn’t disappoint this year. They have a kicked back outdoor lifestyle look and all of the new styles are easy for kids to put on and off themselves. I’m sure you moms can appreciate that when you’re trying to make it out the door. Here are some of my favorites…

The Outdoor Retailer Show was the biggest ever this winter and it was so exciting to see kids gear making a nice presence at the show. I’m sure that trend will continue as more and more kids head out into nature. Over the coming months we’ll be reviewing some of these products and having giveaways for you as well. So stay tuned!

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