LAZY…I’ve been so lazy over Christmas weekend and it’s felt soooo good. But now it’s time to get PRODUCTIVE. Time to lace up my running shoes and pour out the left over eggnog. Time to announce our Icebreaker giveaway winner!
Shelise Lowe you are our winner!!!
Here’s what she had to say…”My six year old LOVES to play outside in the snow. He will definitely be wearing this in the snow!”
Congrats Shelise! A good way to end 2011 wouldn’t you say? Send me what size your son is and your mailing address and we’ll get this coordinating Icebreaker base layer top and bottom sent out to you.
In my last post here at Nature For Kids I talked about the frozen waterfall we hiked up to. It was a cold day even in the sunshine but the shade made it frigid. This type of day is a perfect example of why you should dress in several thin layers when you play outside. You can easily regulate your body temperature by putting them on in the cold shade and taking them off when you’re working up a sweat.
2 keys to dressing warm in the outdoors:
Read The Tag – Find out what your clothes are made of by reading the tags. (this means socks and hats too) There’s a lot of great options these days, the forever reliable wool, synthetic fabrics, and even treated cottons.
Layer Up - Wearing several thin layers is more effective and comfortable than one bulky one. Start with a base layer that will wick away moisture and keep you dry. Then add an insulating layer and then finally add an outer shell that keeps out the wind and rain.
Here’s the layering ritual we have at our house before we go out to play in the snow…
Icebreaker makes AMAZING layering pieces for kids and adults out of 100% New Zealand merino wool.
Our Favorite Features Of Icebreaker clothing:
There is a Baaa Code (like bar code) in each garment Icebreaker makes. You get on their website and type in your number to find out which ranch your wool came from to make your garment. We did this with the kids and they loved seeing the videos and pictures of the countryside, the ranchers and the sheep themselves.
It’s not itchy like those sweaters your grandma gives you.
It doesn’t need washed quite as often and resists odor.
No fancy washing instructions required, just wash and line dry.
It’s sustainable. Sheer a sheep to make some socks and it grows back to make a coat.
Regulates your temperature with easy breathability and moisture wicking properties. (So it can just as easily be worn in the summer)
Protects against UV rays and is fire resistant (nice for when you’re around the camp fire)
Scout and Doober were sporting Icebreaker base layers, hats and socks during our hike. Doober was also wearing the Icebreaker camper hood as an insulating layer. When we got home they just stayed in their base layers to sleep. This went on for a couple of days. We had to force them to take them off so we could wash them. Then they went right back on.
They sent me the Rush 3/4 tights and the Rio Pants. I am in heaven. I put the rush tights on for a trail run in the morning and didn’t bother to take them off the rest of the day. And the Rio Pants are a staple in my wardrobe now. They’re comfy enough for a Sunday afternoon nap but have a style factor that allow you to wear them around town or up to the ski hill.
Here’s what Damon has to say about his Sierra Hood. “When you feel it you can tell it’s not cotton but it’s just as comfortable as cotton. You can tell it’s really durable and going to last a long time. And I like how it looks. It’s nice enough for me to wear to work.”
The price of Icebreaker apparel isn’t cheap. But then neither is the quality or the functionality. Before trying this clothing out I would have been reluctant to buy it. But now that I see how well it’s made and the benefits of this soft lovely wool I’m sold.
Now it wouldn’t be Christmas if we didn’t have a little present for you! We’re doing a giveaway for a kids baselayer top and coordinating bottoms thanks to Icebreaker.
Here’s how to enter to win:
Leave a comment on this post telling us where your little explorer will be sporting their new attire.
to increase your odds once more visit Nature For Kids on Facebook and “Like” us. If you’ve already liked us leave a comment on our Facebook page telling us your latest outdoor adventure or share a picture.
And for one last bonus entry Tweet this post to all your tweeps, peeps, whatever you want to call them.
Be sure to leave a separate comment on this post for each entry you make.
This giveaway ends Christmas Day! The winner will be chosen using Randomizer.org and will be announced Dec. 26th. This giveaway is for Canada and U.S. residents only. So stay warm and here’s wishing you a snow shreddin’, snowball fightin’, snow angel makin’ Holiday!
With Christmas on the horizon I’ve been scoping out some fun outdoor recreation type gifts for our kids. I’m sure Scout would be pleased with any of these American Girl dolls. And no I’m not being paid to put that link on my site. I wish I was. There’s some commission to be made there.
They’re priced pretty steep so I’d have to be sure she’d cherish it until she’s 30 and then pass it on to her daughter and her daughter’s daughter before I lay down the cash for it. But how cool are these, a downhill skiier, snowshoer, skateboarder and even a yoga girl! Talk about sweet! *sigh* If only I was little again.
One year my husband and I went shopping for stocking stuffers for the kids without a clue of what we wanted to get. We ended up walking out of the store spending $150 on a bunch of STUFF. We promised ourselves we’d never do that again. So I’ve been making a mental list of some recreation gear that the kids are actually in need of and that I think they’ll be excited to get.
Nature For Kids’ Stocking Stuffer Picks 2011
And don’t forget your favorite four footed friend! Kaiser would look good strutting his stuff on the trail with these…And I’m sure the kids wouldn’t mind skijoring behind him this winter.
Good luck with all your shopping! I’m still spinning over the fact that Halloween and Thanksgiving have come and gone. I’ve got some work to do. Enjoy!
The change in seasons usually means a change-up in recreation gear for a lot of people. It’s an opportunity to score some great used items. My thrifting addiction paid off when I came across this Burton snowdeck, also called a snowskate for $5.
The boys are sure to enjoy this in the coming months.
A while back I came across these old skateboards for $2. The bearings were hashed so I decided to repurpose it, making it into a shelf in my boys room.
Here are some other projects I have on my to do list…making snow ski chairs for our fire pit outside. I come across skis all the time for as little as $5 a pair.
We have some old boards laying around in the garage too that would be great for making a bench like this… (Just put it on top of two existing chairs)
Do you ever get tired of the same family reunion lawn games of horseshoes and bocce ball? Well here’s a new game even your Uncle Eddie will appreciate.
It’s actually not new at all. It’s been around since the early 1800′s but now it has a new twist. It’s called Ring Stix. Back in the day it was called Game Of Graces. It was considered a proper game for young ladies and supposedly made them more graceful. (I thought that’s why they walked around with a book on their head.)
It’s played with two people and includes two wooden sticks for each player and one wooden ring. You place the wooden sticks inside the ring and rapidly pull them apart causing the ring to shoot off the ends. The other player tries catching the ring with one of their sticks.
Ribbons were often tied to the wooden ring to allow it to stay in the air longer, be more durable and let’s face it, to make it more pretty for those young ladies learning some graceful skills.
Ring Stix, the new version of the game, is appealing to more than just young ladies. For one thing the sticks are shaped like swords, now that’s a touch of masculinity! And the ring glows in the dark, HELLO NIGHT GAMES!
We took our Ring Stix to the park and tried them out…here’s the footage.
I wouldn’t say that Ring Stix has made us and the kids more graceful but it sure has given us a good excuse to head outside! Ring Stix is on Facebook
I was thinking if you wanted to create your own practice set before you step it up to the big leagues, an embroidery hoop and two wooden dowels from the thrift or craft store would do the trick too.
But if you want to impress Uncle Eddie I’d step it up and just go buy the Ring Stix for $20. It’s cheaper than taking the family to the movies!
