Nature For Kids

Family Triathlons – What They Teach And How To Find One

Shawna — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:15:33 +0000

This summer my husband and I are participating in our first sprint triathlon. As we started training we realized our kids, especially the oldest, were interested in what we were doing. So when we saw that our local gymnastics gym was hosting a family triathlon we hopped on board. Our oldest is 10 and signed up to do the race on his own. The rest of us did a relay together.

Cru’s race included:

swimming 4 lengths of the pool
biking 2 miles
running 1 mile.

I started the relay race off with swimming 12 lengths of the pool.

Damon biked 4 miles with the two little ones in tow.

And then Corbin finished it off with a 1/2 mile run. Damon ran with him too.

The best part about these family tri’s is that…

They are very flexible for all ages and abilities.
They encourage you to cheer on a family member, something I want my kids to do throughout their entire lives.
It shows them that “we can do hard things”.

The kids were given medals at the end and I think our littlest guy Axel hasn’t taken it off since. It was a great event and we’ll be doing it next year. Corbin is already talking about doing it on his own next time.

If your kids are interested in doing their own triathlon TriFind.com is a great resource. It has kids triathlon events that are searchable by state. Most family triathlons will be lower key and put on by city recreation departments like this one or this one. Search the events on your city website or encourage your recreation department to set one up if they don’t already have one created.

Have you or your kids done a triathlon? Any tips you could share with us?

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Viewing A Solar Eclipse With Binoculars

Shawna — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:23:18 +0000

Yesterday was the “ring of fire” solar eclipse. From our standpoint here in northern Utah it didn’t quite look like a ring of fire but a crescent moon.

We were able to use our binoculars in an odd kind of way to look at it.

The kids thought it was all pretty cool. And it was fun to see all the neighbors out looking at it too. One of them had a welding glass that let us look right at the sun like we were wearing a pair of sunglasses. It was a lot of fun for all of us!

Enjoy your week nature peeps,

nature for kids, solar eclipse, binoculars, ring of fire

Campfire Breakfast Burritos

Shawna — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:02:47 +0000

During our last camping trip I wanted to make a warm and hearty breakfast to give us energy for a day of hiking and rock climbing. but I also wanted it to be super easy with little prep or cleanup at the campsite.

I decided to make campfire breakfast burritos. I first saw this idea at Ninth and Bird and decided to do my own version of it. I did all the prep work at home before we left. (We have 6 in our family and 3 of those are very hungry boys so I made a lot)

click on the recipe card above to print.

First I cooked everything up in one pan: eggs, potatoes, ham, spinach and cheese.

Then I filled tortillas with the egg concoction and rolled them up in foil, making sure the ends were nice and tight. One layer of foil is enough. I’m trying to incorporate more whole grains into our eating habits, so I went 50/50 on the tortillas… some white, some wheat.

Then I put them in a cooler to take with us. The morning we ate them we started a fire and placed them on a grate just to the side of the fire. Since everything was already cooked inside, it only took about 10 minutes to warm them up.

Warm and hearty enough to fill the most hollow of legs! Just what we wanted.

The hubs loved it and the kids ate it, but didn’t give rave reviews. I think they were busy trying to figure out what the green stuff was inside. But something tells me the reviews won’t be high unless I serve them cotton candy for breakfast. So I’ll be making these again for our future camping trips!

What are some go-to meals you like to eat while camping?

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A Uke, A Biner And A Whole Lotta Love

Shawna — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:09:53 +0000

I had a fab Mothers Day weekend camping and rock climbing with my favorite peeps at City Of Rocks.

Here’s the stash I got!

But more than that I got to be with my favorite peeps in the whole wide world…my family!

I love being a mama, and this weekend just reaffirmed my thoughts that I want to be there for them first and foremost.

Happy Mothers Day to these amazing ladies too!!! Without their support in so many ways we would be in shambles around here.

If you have any easy songs to learn on the Uke send them my way! My goal is to learn Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole and You and I by Ingrid Michaelson and I have til Christmas to learn Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer. I think voice lessons are in order too…my children usually run the other direction when I start singing. :\

Mothers Day, rock climbing, camping, ukulele, carabiner

Kid Kanteen Baby Bottle Review And Mothers Day Giveaway

Shawna — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:22:54 +0000

This Giveaway Has Ended: Winner is Digital Downtown! This is what they had to say, “This thing looks awesome, although I’d love to know how much it weights. Is it an 8oz bottle? My wife and I are both avid backpackers, and about to be new parents. This looks like a perfect tool to help us out on the trail!” Congrats! Send us your address and we’ll get it shipped out

In January I told you about the new stainless steal baby bottle created by Klean Kanteen. I got a sample and passed it on to Amanda, a good friend of mine who is really active in the outdoors and has two little guys of her own. Here’s her thorough review followed by a Mothers Day giveaway!

Shortly after our first son Goose was born, my husband and I purchased a Klean Kanteen insulated thermos for times when we went on outdoor adventures and had limited access to warm water to fill his baby bottles. We would like to think that we are environmentally conscious, and not being able to breastfeed, we wanted to choose a product that was eco-friendly and safe for the environment. Over the years, we have gotten tons of use out of our Klean Kanteen, to the point that you can barely recognize the brand name on the front. With that being said, you can only imagine how excited I was when Shawna asked me to do a product review on The Kid Kanteen, a stainless steel baby bottle from Klean Kanteen with our newly born 2nd son, Mav!

One thing that I love about the Kid Kanteen is that it is so easy to use and convenient. Rather than packing a bottle, formula and having to find somewhere to fill it up with warm water, we fill up the Kid Kanteen with warm water, grab a packet or two of the travel sized formula packages and go. The water tends to stay warm for a fair amount of time before going cold. The Kid Kanteen has a wide mouth and sleek body style that makes it easy to fill up, pour and to clean. I also love that they offer nipples with a range of flow rates, from slow to fast flow. I also love knowing that the stainless steel bottle does not absorb flavors and does not contain toxins that could potentially harm your baby.

So far, I have used the Kid Kanteen for many different activities, hiking, as seen here, on family bike rides, for long runs with the stroller, to church on Sunday and to daycare during the week, and for a fun day at my sister’s farm. It has become a staple accessory in my diaper bag.

Some of my favorite features about this product are:

Toxin free bottle and nipple: no BPA, lead or anything that is harmful to your baby
High quality, 18/8 food-grade stainless steel doesn’t retain or impart flavors
Contoured hourglass bottle designed for little hands
Wide-mouth bottle for easy filling, pouring and cleaning
Wide base and nipple shape encourages proper latch
Double-venting system reduces nipple collapse and colic
Nipple made from soft, pliable, medical-grade silicone
Nipple promotes proper oral development and healthy teeth
Nipple flow rates allow natural-paced and relaxed feedings
Threads compatible with all Kanteen® Wide caps
Reusable & 100% recyclable
Dishwasher safe

I would love to see Klean Kanteen create an insulated version of the Kid Kanteen. That way on long hikes and all-day activities, you could keep the baby’s water warm for a longer period of time. Although the Kid Kanteen is a bit pricey, now that I have used it I have found that it is a good investment. I love how durable it is, and convenient to use. Also, it is environmentally friendly and also toxin-free, which is great for your peace of mind. I would recommend the Kid Kanteen to anyone who is looking for an eco-friendly solution to bottle feeding.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Amanda! Now because I know there’s more of you outdoor mamas out there who would get some major use out of the Kid Kanteen we’re giving one away for Mothers Day! All you need to do is…

leave a comment on this post telling us what outdoor adventure you’ll be using the Kid Kanteen baby bottle on.

For U.S. residents only. This giveaway ends Sunday May 13th. One entry per person please. The winner will be chosen using randomizer.org. GOOD LUCK!

Klean Kanteen has a solid sippy cut line with a lot of the same features. Click the image below to learn more…

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