With school coming up it’s been really easy to procrastinate. There are hundreds of thousands of other things to distract myself with.

Like labelling. Oh, how I have labelled today! You name it, I’ve labelled it. Hubby was teasing me about liking labelling … how I secretly luxuriate in its pleasure. “As if,” I said. “It has to be done! It says so on all the instruction sheets from the schools!” But, he’s right. We both know it.

Anyhow, since I was so busy labelling, I asked if he could bring up a suitcase for me. Then I started debating if I should bring a medium-sized check-in case, or just a small carry-on. He suggested that I’d need the larger one because I’d need not only hiking boots, but casual shoes and dress shoes. (Notice how it’s all about the footwear. The man does know me well after all these years, doesn’t he?)

“Dress shoes?” I asked.

“Well, yes. It looks like you’ll be eating in some nice restaurants.”

“What? What do you mean!”

“On the itinerary, it mentioned some nice restaurants and a hotel,” he says casually.

“What? A hotel?!”

At this point, I finally dug out the itinerary and read through it. And sure enough — there is a hotel on there!! This is mighty exciting … I thought I’d be “roughing” it. In fact, of the five nights I will be away, two are in a hotel and one is in a chalet. And there will be only one night without a shower and flush toilet.

I should probably feel disappointed. After all, this is my big adventure. Something that was to equate in some small way to those my hubby takes off on — a real nature experience. But you know what I say?

Wooooohoooooo!!!

p.s. I already checked and the hotel has free wifi  :)

Seeing as how I don’t think I’ll be heading out on lots of adventures involving lots of rain over the next few years, I told him I’d buy some boots, but that he’d need to lend me his Gore Tex rain gear. He didn’t look that keen on it for a moment, but as soon as I reminded him of the cost, I had him on my side.

But there was no way I was going to escape needing boots since he wears a size 13. So off I went to trusty ol’ Mountain Equipment Co-op.

There I was in my office attire, staring blankly at the wall of footwear. All I wanted was to put some comfy clothes on and eat some dinner, but instead I had the daunting task of picking out boots — surely the very last pair of hiking boots I will ever own (they last forever, don’t they?).

A pleasant young woman went back and forth with boxes of different styles for me until finally it came down to a choice between two pairs. They were both waterproof, solid, well-made and comfortable. But I wasn’t particularly happy … I didn’t like the colour of either pair. “Why couldn’t they make these in a nice, classic black,” I moaned to the saleswoman. To her credit, she smiled sweetly.

What had started as a simple quest for a $99-pair of leather hiking boots that were well-reviewed on the MEC site, finished with me walking away with a $219 pair of boots. Granted, it’s not surprising that I got “upsold” … really, it’s not terribly difficult, especially when my blood-sugar levels are low. In fact, I can usually doing all the up-selling on my own.

But I am disappointed. I really would have much rather have spent that kind of money on a coveted pair of Fluevog shoes. I have yet to own a pair, and I really, really want too. Like these, for instance:

But noooooooo … instead, I walked away with one of these numbers from Salomon:

I also bought a good pair of wool socks to wear with them to avoid blisters and keep my tootsies comfy. They are no where near as cute as my Hello Kitty socks, but they’ll have to do.

I wanted to end the spending on these decidedly “not cute” items, but realized that it would be awkward to go trekking in one of my ten thousand pairs of black dress pants. (One really can never have too many pairs of black pants, can they?)

So off I went to the women’s hiking pants section.

This may come as a big surprise, but “quick dry” material is not that attractive. At least not to me. I checked out the waist bands on these things too and wondered if I was even going to fit in a pair of pants at this store! I asked the salesperson working in this section if there were any pant styles that included a granny-style elastic waist. She tried hard not to wince while directing me to a pair.

I took said granny-waist style into the change room. For $39, I figured I couldn’t go wrong – practical, functional and cheap. But after trying them on, I realized that practicality would not cut it for me in this situation. I asked the saleswoman for a tailored-style waist, explaining that the other ones were so unflattering that if I wore them I’d risk throwing myself over the kayak in despair.

I got the next style of pants on. Yes, these were a better fit. And yes, they were more flattering. But it was all relative because there was no doubt about it — I looked like a frumpy woman trying to kid herself that she was still an adventurer.

Then I started wondering what age the other women would be on the trip? And what level of fitness would they be? Or if maybe I am over-estimating how “rough” the trip will be and they will all be wearing cute yoga pants and flip flops while I stand there like a dork all outfitted up. And mostly, if I looked this ridiculous in the change room, how ridiculous would I look when I was actually outdoors?

Like the kid showing up to school wearing bright white sneakers, I’ll be clunking around in my unscuffed hiking boots and quick-dry pants.

But now, unlike back then, I’ve learned to laugh at myself. A lot. So I’m really looking forward to this trip!

If I look around, I can see that most of my fellow adventure seekers from that era have also mellowed out considerably too. I guess it’s simply the passing of time, I suppose. But a car accident, two children, sports injuries, countless hours at a computer desk and 15 years have not just mellowed me — they’ve made me middle-aged.

I can accept that I am no longer going to wear clothes in single-digit sizes and definitely not a bikini again in this lifetime. (Granted, I accept it begrudgingly, with a smidgen of bitterness).

But to be perfectly honest, I think I could skip the wild and crazy and enjoy settling into a chubby, cushy middle-aged existence if not for the fact that my husband has not aged one bit. This is him:

Mountain climbing. July 2010.

He’s just as adventurous, just as fit (maybe more, even!) and just energetic as when I met him back in 1994. He has a real zest for life and it makes me think, “Huh, how come I don’t feel like that?” Or “Wow, he sure looks like he’s having fun, maybe I should try it, too.”  You might recall that these same emotions got me roped into my “Winter Resolution” this year, not to mention all this tent-trailer shenanigans.  

And now I’ve done it again. Way, way back … I received an email about a trip to the Saguenay region in Quebec. Around this time, my hubby was planning his big summer adventure (pictured above) and I thought, “This can be my adventure!”

Silly me, I forgot that I don’t do adventures anymore.

Now I am locked in — and I need to leave on Monday night.

Not only is it the worst possible timing with the kids staring school, but I’ve also started a new job recently too. But, like I said, I’m locked in.

At this point, I’m still a bit vague on the details (I like living denial) … something about kayaking, hiking, biking and black bear observation. All in four-day time span! Mentally, I’m already exhausted from the new-job thing. So now I’ll add physical exhaustion to the menu, and give it a taste too I guess!

Like they say, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Father #1: My kids are going to be on the Yearbook Club. For sure.

Father #2: Oh, were you on the Yearbook Club when you were in high school?

Father #1: God no! That was for losers.

Me: *laughing hysterically*

I can see now that what our parents gave us was a gift. Because in raising us in this manner, it is now possible that I, as mother, can teach both my daughter and son how to throw a ball properly. I’ve been armed not with just the desire to do so, but with the actual skill. (Sometimes I do still find myself ill-equipped, but in those instances, I fake it for the sake of my kids.)

Most days I really feel that the world has changed and that our generation is at the forefront of turning over any remaining gender stereotypes once and for all. Like when I heard a documentary about stay-at-home-fathers this morning on CBC radio.

But then there are other days. Days when I end up “crying like a girl.” I really hate those days.

What are the most common gender stereotypes that you run into? Are there common phrases that irk you, like “Oh, boys will be boys?” Do you ever find yourself acting out gender stereotypes (consciously or unconsciously)?

Me:  Hi Gram! I got a new car!

Gram: Oh, that is good, dear. What colour is it?

Me: Black.

Gram: *crickets*

Me: You don’t like black?

Gram: No. I don’t like black or green.

Me: Really? Those are my two absolute favourite colours.

Gram: I like red.

Me: Yes, Mom has a nice red colour car, doesn’t she?

Gram: *crickets*

Me: What, you don’t like the colour of her car, either?

Gram: No. I like FIRE ENGINE red.

I adore this woman.

‘Twas the night before birthday, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse (okay, maybe a fruit fly or two).

The tent was hung in the backyard with care,

In hopes that St. Birthday Fairy soon would be there;

The child and her father were nestled all snug in their sacks,

While visions of Pokémon and DS games danced in her head.

Now mama was draped in her flannel pjamas,

And had just settled down off her feet,

Where inside she stayed with her babe, lit’l Max.

She looked out the window in clear mystification:

How had eight years flown by like a flash?

And now her once-baby, a girl so lively and quick.

To the top of the porch ol’ mama she went,

Headlamps were dashing about in the nylon tent,

And the air started to chill with autumn  scent.

So back up to the house this misty mama went,

With visions of birthdays to come in her head…

The years were all flying and swirling away.

Really – it was too much for Mama to consider after a work-day!

But Stella and hubby could hear her exclaim, ere she headed to bed,

“Happy Birthday dear child, and to all a good-night.”

You can check out yesterday’s post for an intro to Julie and the other travel bloggers I met at BlogHer. Please join in me giving her a warm welcome to our little coffee spot!

*********************

All Who Wander Are Not Lost!

Kids today are “high tech.” Gaming, cell phones, and texting (OMG, LOL).  Heck, sometimes we use email to communicate, even though we’re all inside the same house. With all this instant gratification and even the GPS lady to answer the age-old question, “Are we there yet?,” how do we unplug without completely alienating ourselves?
 
One solution: geocaching. Sometimes known as a high-treasure hunt, people all over the world are playing the game. By creating a team name on the official geocaching website, www.geocaching.com, you can join in with the ¾ of a million other people in on the secret. Regional clubs, outings, and even geocaching events are also growing in popularity.
 
In a nutshell: someone has some stuff, they put it in a waterproof container and hide the container in the woods, the city, or even an ocean. Noting the “coordinates” (latitude and longitude – bring a compass), the location of the container is uploaded into geocaching.com database. Now…say you have some stuff, some free time, and a sense of adventure; simply log in to geocaching.com and punch in you zip code. Returned to you will be a list of nearby geocaches. (Geo=earth, Cache=data)
 
The people who hide geocaches sometimes use tiny containers and rappel up rock outcroppings in an “extreme sports” challenge. Our family picks caches that are kid-friendly, not too far from the road, and typically don’t involve anything other than tennis shoes and an iPhone (we use the Groundspeak Geocaching iPhone Application).
 
We have a container in our car full of stickers, temporary tattoos, rubber lizards, bouncy balls, rings, and other penny carnival treasures. Upon finding the geocache, we sign a log book with our team name, take some stuff, and leave some of ours. Linking between the iPhone app and the compass on the phone, we “usually” find the cache without too much trouble (geocaches can’t be buried, but are sometimes placed under rocks and in hollowed out trees). It’s important to return the geocache exactly where you found it, and take the time to log your find on geocaching.com. Some geocache owners even leave a disposable camera in their container as a photo log (this is especially fun when kids are involved on both ends).
 
For families going on a road trip, one way to explore different regions of the country is to incorporate geocaching into your vacation. Many visitor bureaus, state parks, and even resorts maintain their own special geocaching programs as a way to teach social studies, geography, and even history about their region. Many of these programs are on geocaching.com, some are not.  Visit the Geocaching column on Road Trips for Families to get some ideas or just call ahead.
 
Reading a book like the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Geocaching may be particularly helpful if you are considering a bigger adventure or investing in technology like a handheld GPS unit specifically used for finding geocaches. Whether you research, jump in, or dabble in a geocache or two, you may just be surprised to find that you get as much out of the game as the kids do. The sense of mystery, adventure, and teamwork may just be enough to call “family bonding” by another name: go 4X4 it!

But let me back up a little in order to introduce her …

While I was at BlogHer, there were “Birds of a Feather” lunches that we could join. I dropped into a seat at the “travel” table and met some really cool women who run really clever blogs. These included (and please let me know if I’ve forgotten someone!):

• Traci from Go BIG or go Home:  a blog which chronicles the visits a small-town family takes going to “world’s largest” attractions — from world’s largest fork to the world’s longest continuous sidewalk. (And yes — I am totally going to convince her to come to Ottawa to write about our world’s largest skating rink!)

• Cheryl from Kimberley Seldon Design Group: Among Kimberley Seldon’s claims to fame is that she is the Decorating Editor of Canada’s Style at Home magazine. And Cheryl is the Group’s Events & Media manager. I really liked Cheryl’s quiet style and after the event I seemed to bump into her everywhere!

• Anne and Sophie from Hip Travel Mama: This blog is geared to families who love to travel and like to do it in style. This is how they describe the site: “You know that mom at school, on the playground, or at work who always has the scoop on the hippest places to go, shop, dine and play? Here you have access to parents like you who share your passion for luxury travel, good food, wine and fashion.” And for the record, both Anne and Sophie were hip.

• Emily from Country Inns & Suites by Carlson: Emily is the Social Media Manager and her business card says: “I’m Emily. Let’s Talk.” I checked out the site and it has a really helpful Destinations & Activities section where you can learn more about as well as find out about any destination-specific offers and specials.

• Glennia from The Silent I: This blog shares family travels, both foreign and domestic locales – from Greenland to Galapagos, Tokyo to Tripoli. I was really intrigued to hear that many of the travels are inspired because of her husband’s love of solar eclipses. I love a good excuse to travel! (okay, any excuse!)

• Lisa from Frisco Mama: I didn’t get much of a chance to connect with Lisa, but I did manage to have her business card in my pile of BlogHer treasures. I checked out her blog and it’s an ode to San Francisco, her home town. I have yet to visit this city and when I do, I will definitely skip the guidebook and go right to Lisa’s blog. I know I’ll be in good hands!

And last but not least, I met another Julie. We were sitting right beside each other at lunch, so we got to chat a great deal. Before leaving the table, we promised to keep in touch. Sure enough, a lovely email arrives to me this week with the subject heading “Lunch with Julie.”

Julie’s travel specialty is road trips for families. And this is a subject that I really want to learn more about — not just where to go, but how to do them in such a way that all of the family — adults and kids! — get the most enjoyment out of the experience.

Her blog answers this call with a section titled “Feed Me” on how to travel without eating fast food and chicken trips the entire time (a major pet peeve of mine!); another titled “Tech & Gadgets” with reviews and overviews; and last but not least, a section on ”Geocaching,” which is a kind of high-tech treasure hunt that I see great potential in making road trips more fun for my family.  

Just as Glennia uses solar eclipses as an impetus for a family trip, on Road Trips for Families they suggest using geocaching as a reason for heading out on a road trip. They call it Going on VaCachen™ (with a Facebook page here).

I wanted to learn more about this and I thought you might find it interesting too! So Julie has been kind enough to share a glimpse into how geocaching works and some tips for how we can get started.

Tune in tomorrow for her guest post on geocaching!

Plus, it’s totally unnecessary, since some fabulous writers have already done great recaps. So I’ll share a few of those with you instead.

First, I’ll point you towards the recaps written by my BlogHer roomie and travel buddy Andrea from A Peek Inside The Fishbowl. She wrote about her overall impressions as well as the swag.

Here is Andrea in one of a number of fun art installations that took place on the Voices of the Year Gala evening. She doesn't like being in photos, which is silly since she has supermodel cheekbones but I don't think she'll mind this one because it's blurry -- and cute too!

And then there are the recaps done by The Bloggess, whose twisted humour I always enjoy. Here in her Part 1 of three posts she’s written on BlogHer, you’ll get lots of laughs but won’t learn a thing about BlogHer (which is basically my post except no laughs). She is a total celebrity in the wacky world of blogging and people were lined up to say hello to her. I totally lined up too. And here is my photo with her:

Look at me -- I'm practically drooling on the poor woman I am so happy! Seeing Brad Pitt and having him put his arms around me couldn't make me as happy as this moment.

And last but not least, I would like you to read Shannon from Three Seven‘s  post on BlogHer. I don’t know how she did it, but she managed to describe all of the intensity of the experience in words. The BlogHer she describes is the BlogHer experience I had.

Shannon was one of the artists who created a piece for BlogHer’s “Tell the World, Make it Count” art auction. The proceeds of this auction will be donated to The Nature Conservancy clean-up effort in the Gulf of Mexico. And here she is with her piece:

Shannon's twitter handle is @zchamu, like the whale. But as you can clearly see, she's damn gorgeous in addition to being talented.

And there you have the lazy girl’s guide to doing a BlogHer recap! 

I got back from the BlogHer conference in New York City late last night and I’m still processing everything — it was non-stop activity from morning until night!

In the meantime, I would like to share some of the swag (promo items) that were given to me as a participant by hosting two giveaway packages.

#1: New Mother & Baby

This may be perfect for you or for a baby shower gift. This giveaway is worth approx $125 and includes:

• A 2-pack of Nuk Orthodontic Pacifers, size 0-6 months, silicone (retails $4.99 US)
• HALO newborn SleepSack Swaddle, 100% cotton in gender-neutral polka dots (retails $34.95 US)
• Head Snuggler, which supports baby’s head in car seat or stroller, pink (retails $19.99 Cdn)
• Mini Mioche, 100% organic cotton, “nuture” long-sleeve shirt in grey (retails $26 Cdn)
• Johnsons’s Shea & Cocoa Butter Baby Wash (retails $6.57 Cdn)
• Johnson’s Baby Oil Gel, Shea & Cocoa Butter (retails $6.15 Cdn)
• The Travel Kit for Mother, by Maclaren (retails for $24 US)
• Heavy canvas bag with zippered top, branded with Johnson&Johnson 

#2: Toddler Fun

A little bit of fun for a small person in your life! This package is worth approx $25 and includes:

• “Up, Up I Go,” A Growth Chart by Eric Carle, published by Chronicle Books (retails $12.95 US)
• Play-Doh Duffel Bag by Hasbro (retails $7.98 US)
• 2-pack of Weebles, Sports Figures (retails $4.99 US)
• “Crack & Grow” egg that grows a basil plant, by Walmart
• Large reuseable tote bag, branded with Mabel’s Labels

To enter:

• Simply leave a comment with a valid email address where I can reach you.
• You can enter both contests or just one – simply specify your interest in the comment.
• Note that you need to be able to pick up the package from a location in Ottawa or be willing to pay cash-on-delivery for the postage costs.
• Entries will be accepted until 6pm on Sunday, August 15th, 2010.
• I will use a random draw to select a winner for both packages on Sunday, August 15th, 2010 at 7pm.

If you’d like to share this giveaway with your friends, simply click on the “share” button in the bottom left-hand corner of this post and you can share on Facebook, Twitter, email, etc!

But what I didn’t realize then was just how much I would enjoy playing in this sandbox. And I think the reason I love being in this space so much is because it’s a constant learning joy ride. I was that kid who loved school and I feel like I’ve signed up for a graduate degree in social media.

That’s why I registered for the BlogHer conference. Well, that and the fact that it was taking place in New York City. It was an irresitible combination.

When I’m in New York, I can’t help but think of the saying “the city that never sleeps.” Where I live with my family, I can stand on my deck outside at 9 pm and look up at a deep black sky filled with bright stars and a night air filled with silence. It’s easy to fall asleep because you don’t feel like you’re going to miss out on anything. But here in NYC, I lay in bed at the hotel last night and I could hear the non-stop action taking place in the streets. I pulled the blinds back at 2 am and city lights were twinkling everywhere from the 18th floor of my room.

New York City always brings a buzz. And with 2,500 bloggers descending upon this hotel and its conference spaces, the buzz is palable.

The conference itself has been sold-out for five consecutive years. It’s my first year and I’m told that its promises of hands-on learning, rich discussions, and opportunities to meet bloggers and the brands that support us all hold true.

It’s going to be a great few days. But I don’t see sleep anywhere on the agenda.

While in Bar Harbor, I took in a tourist attraction to see a much-loved creature.

“I stood shuffling nervously. Nervous because I really wanted a lucky glimpse of the creature and also, because I hoped that the motion-sickness pills I had gulped down would work.”

The experience left me wondering about the finicky nature of human love … Please click here to read the full piece as featured in the e-zine Life As A Human.

But for some reason, I’ve been feeling a little, well, blah. Not a lot. Just a bit.

I wondered why … then I realized that I was spending a lot of time on the beach watching people walk around in bikinis while I was wearing a bathing suit that was handed down to me by a friend who’d lost weight and gave me all her “fat” clothes.

Now, let’s be clear: I’m a realistic person. A practical sort. So, logically, I understand that once a stomach has been stretched out like, say, for example this:

It just makes sense that it will never again look like, oh, say this:

But it didn’t change the fact that I was feeling a tad blah, nonetheless. I decided that a change was in order.

So what did I do?

Well, I lost 10 pounds! Yes, I lost 10 pounds on vacation … pretty amazing, eh? And how did I manage this … by chugging liquid meals? Signing up for a Cape Cod boot camp?

No, no. I simply went shopping! Have you heard of the “MiracleSuit”? The slogan for this bathing suit is “Look 10 lbs lighter in 10 seconds.” And you know what? It’s true. I really did lose 10 lbs just by putting on one of their suits. (Yes, of course, I bought two!)

After my shopping trip, I returned to the pool where my family was hanging out waiting for me. I had a bounce in my step and a smile on my face. And did they notice the new swimsuit? Comment on how flattering it was … how great I looked?

Yeah, as if.

But they did notice that Mama had gotten her groove back. (Thanks Miraclesuit, I owe ya one!)