“What brand is that?”

“Where did you get that?”

“Do you run in that?”

“Is it comfortable?”

“It’s so cute!”

“You’re the best dressed.”

“That looks comfortable.”

Those are the questions and comments I get ALL the time when I get to the start of a race.

What could possibly cause all the comments and questions?

THIS!!! 

Wearing Violette

I am one of those gals you see sporting a running dress. Yes, a running dress!

3 years ago after J-Man was born I was looking for non-restrictive clothing I could wear to get back into running shape. I wanted something that I was comfortable in that didn’t show all my post pregnancy rolls and bulges and was suitable for running. My best running buddy, Wendi, had been researching running dresses and came upon a gold mine. Nuu-Muu was discovered and both of us have been wearing them ever since.

Why a Nuu-Muu running dress? I’d like to just answer with, Why Not?  But I’ll give you my reasons why.

Here you go…

1. They are super comfortable. They don’t ride up, twist or restrict your movement.

2. So versatile! They can be worn for not only running but are great for biking, hiking, travel, swimsuit cover up or running errands around town.

4. They fit every body type and are flattering.

5. They are Made in the USA!

6. Super cute with fun prints and colors.

7. Its a fabulous company based in Bellingham, WA (one of my favorite places) with great customer service and fast shipping.

8. Their following on Facebook is growing and it is a fun group to be a part of. (request to join)

10. They have Mini-Ruu’s so your little girls can be just like mommy.

So, if those aren’t reasons enough to try out a Nuu-Muu I don’t know what is.

Ok, here is one more reason if you need it.

I had the opportunity to try out one of the Ruu-Muu dresses, not Nuu-Muu, and I have to say, I am in love. The Ruu is the same as the Nuu except there are 2 small pockets on the back of the Ruu. I’m always trying to find a pocket to store my key, chapstick and phone. The pockets on the Ruu are perfect for them. I have an iphone and it fits just fine.

I wore my Ruu-Muu during the Thelma and Louise Half Marathon here in Moab last Saturday and it worked out great. I hate having things bounce around, shift side to side and make noise while I run. My phone, keys and chapstick stayed put without annoying me one bit.

Wearing Violette

So now you have your choice between a Nuu-Muu and a Ruu-Muu.

Which one will you be getting?

If you can’t decide, get both!

You will love them!

On a side note: you will need to wear your own sports bra and shorts underneath, which makes it great. You pick what works for you and what you like. You’re not stuck with a top that doesn’t provide enough support or is too tight. You get to choose shorts that don’t ride up and you can wear it with capris or tights. Your pick!

Oh…and I got a PR at my half marathon in October wearing my Zap Nuu-Muu. Yeah, they might just help you run faster.

Wearing Zap

Here’s another from my closet. Wearing Soire.

If you question the versatility of the Nuu-Muu here’s a pic of my best running buddy after a run in Alaska all layered up but still looking stylish.

My Ragnar – Napa Valley Team all decked out in Nuu-Muus. Well…except for the guys.

Have I convinced you?

Nuu-Muu kindly provided me with the Ruu-Muu to wear and review. All opinions and comments are my own.

It’s my last day of celebrating Moms and how awesome they are. It has been fun! Hope you have entered to win all of the awesome giveaway packages this week. If not, you still have time. You can enter them all here - Giveaways!

Being a Mom brings all sorts of adventures with it from challenges to fulfillment, from difficulties to pride, from embarrassment (which always happens at one time or another) to comfort and many others. All of these experiences leave some sort of lasting impression on us and some lend to great stories.

We all have our favorite Mom stories and sometimes it’s hard to pick and choose which are our favorites because there can be an abundance of them. Some may be humorous (which a lot are), some may be serious and some may be heavyhearted. They become our favorites for special reasons.

Here are some favorite Mom stories:

Mine: “Last Spring we took a trip to Death Valley. While out exploring around the campground J-man discovered a ladybug. I held it in my hands as we observed it and then it got tired of being stared at and flew away. Every night after that we would have to search for ladybugs. I thought it was a fluke to see a ladybug in such a dry desolate place but night after night we would find at least one. I thought J-Man would get up the courage to let the ladybug crawl on his hand but night after night he would freak if it would come close. He was so eager to find the ladybugs but not eager enough to touch them. A year later he loves to see them…but from a distance.”

Erin from AK on the Go:  ”My oldest son is on the autism spectrum, and has lived away from our home, and outside Alaska, since 2008. Our youngest has only seen his brother a handful of times since then, which hurts my Mom-heart quite deeply. We planned the first family visit two years ago, and I arrived ahead of the others to prepare my oldest with some social skills and tips for greeting his then-5 year-old brother. I never know if he really understands what I’m saying, but I almost burst my buttons when they met, and big son got down on his knees and took the hand of small son, just like we practiced.”

Lindsey from Outside Mom: “A few months ago we took our kids (2 and 5) out to watch a meteor shower. For some reason they were nervous being out in the middle of nowhere in the dark (not the case usually). While watching for meteors I made the mistake of pointing out all the coyotes howling in the distance. I thought it was cool, they started to panic like they were going to be eaten.

Nancy from Family on Bikes: “I suppose there comes a time in every parent’s life when they realize the tides are turning; when they realize their children are, all of a sudden, able to take care of their parents rather than being cared for, but I never expected that day to come so soon.

It was as we cycled through Panama that my day came. Within the first hour of the day, my stomach started hurting and it periodically cramped up feeling like someone took a big ol’ staple gun to my gut. My head was spinning and I wasn’t quite sure which way was up. And I was tired.

I was pedaling up steep Panamanian hills on the hottest day we had experienced yet, already dehydrated and getting more so by the minute, sick to my stomach, dizzy, and tired. I wasn’t sure I would make it to town.

Eleven-year-old Davy, knowing I was feeling lousy, fell into position right behind me. All day he stayed right on my tail – never dropping back, never pushing on ahead. Escorting me.

I remember looking in my rear-view mirror at the young man behind me thinking, “I’m so glad he’s there. If I collapse and tumble down, Davy will be able to help. He’ll know what to do.” I was very comforted by that thought.

There was a part of me who would willingly collapse into my son’s arms, knowing he was a young confident man capable of rising to whatever challenge lay before him. There was another part of me, however, who rebelled at the idea. I was Mom. I was the provider. I was the strong person in this relationship. Davy was my son, my baby. My little one I cradled in my arms and kissed his boo-boos. It wasn’t time for him to grow up. I wasn’t quite ready for that to happen.

And yet I couldn’t turn back the hands of time. My boys were becoming young men.”

Here’s your chance to win the GRAND giveaway package and what an awesome package it is.

Hi-Tec: V-Lite Sheba Strap sandals perfect for summer.

Eno Hammock: SingleNest hammock excellent for lounging in your backyard or camping.

Sierra Designs: Hurricane jacket that will keep you dry in a down pour.

Nuu-Muu: The best running dress, lounging dress, travel dress and run errands dress. A dress for pretty much any occasion. (you pick)

Headsweats: The Go Hat. For someone that doesn’t wear hats when running or hiking, I love this hat. Lightweight, breathable and cute (that’s a must).

Isis: Henna Day bra and hipster. Comfortable, breathable and non-restricting. You won’t even know you’re wearing them.

Here’s how to enter:

~ Upload a photo below of you with your tykes.

~ Leave a comment in the comment section with your photo description and one of your best mom stories. (unfortunately, when loading the photos there is no way to add name or email. Comment section is how I will match the photos)

*You MUST do both.

I’m sure you want some extra entries for this one. Here ya go!

Like Hi-Tec on Facebook

Like Isis on Facebook

Like Sierra Designs on Facebook

Like Eno Hammocks on Facebook

Like Headsweats on Facebook

Like Adventure Tykes on Facebook

Join Nuu-Muu on Facebook

Tweet: I just entered the final GIVEAWAY @adventuretykes. Hoping to win @isisforwomen @HiTecUSA @enohammocks @sierradesigns http://wp.me/pNfdk-1zS

*leave a comment for each entry and only one photo entry per person.

Good luck!

**This giveaway ends Saturday at midnight (MST), May 12th and the winner will be announced on Mother’s Day, May 13th.

Thank you Hi-Tec, Sierra Designs, Nuu-Muu, Headsweats, Isis and Eno Hammocks for providing these items for the giveaway. All opinions expressed are my own.

**Disclosure on photos: Photos will be viewed by readers and the general public. Adventure Tykes may use the photos in future posts or social media outlets.

Real quick – 3 years ago today I was celebrating my first Mother’s Day AND my birthday.

Ok, now for today’s topic and giveaway!

Is ‘Me Time’ in your monthly, weekly or daily schedule? Do you get out and enjoy activities alone or with friends WITHOUT your tykes? Do you know what ‘me time’ is?

Before J-man came along I used to hike, run and bike alone. It was easy to head out on my own and take advantage of being by myself, clearing my head and doing what I loved. It didn’t occur to me that I would have to schedule or ‘fit in’ time by myself once I was a Mom.

I have found since becoming a Mom that ‘me time’ is crucial to everyones happiness. And the saying goes…’If Mom isn’t happy, no ones happy’, right?

We, as Moms, need a mental break, time alone to enjoy what we love, space to ourselves and a little bit of selfishness, but sometimes it’s hard to do.

The first 18 months of being a Mom I took very little ‘me time’ and I was craving it. Friends and family encouraged me to leave J-man with a sitter but as a control freak and being that new neurotic mom I just couldn’t do it. I would run with J-man in the stroller, hike with him in the backpack and put him in the bike trailer for a spin around town. I knew that I NEEDED some alone time but never made it a priority.

Then my girlfriend invited me to do a race 2.5hrs away from home. It would be my first race away, ALONE, since motherhood and I would be running with my best running buddy. I signed up, booked the hotel room and almost cancelled at the last minute. Every ounce of me was being tested. I so badly wanted to cancel but I so badly wanted to do the race. It was a Halloween race and people were dressing up. I thought it would be a lot of fun. In the end, I did it. I was gone less than 24hrs and that was the beginning of prioritizing some ‘me time’. I came home recharged, gratified that I had accomplished the race and proud that I had conquered the urge to quit, stay home and continue the cycle of not giving myself some alone time.

Now, I go for runs alone, sign up for races without hesitation, get a sitter to go biking, get coffee with friends and I even left J-Man for 3 days to run Ragnar Napa Valley and I had a blast! I’m a much better Mama when I get that ‘me time’.

I feel that if Moms take care of themselves and are healthy mentally, emotionally and physically they will be able to better nurture and provide for their families.

Here’s how you can get some ‘me time’…

Schedule it! If you don’t the days will pass and you will still be saying ‘tomorrow I will do it’.

Know that you will feel so much better for taking a break from motherly duties. You will come back refreshed and well…you DESERVE it!

Here’s what some Mom friends said about how they manage ‘me time’ with a family:

Erin from Ak on the Go: “As a family travel writer, the bulk of our adventures take place together, so time by myself is a ritual I refuse to compromise. I’m also quite an introvert, so I love my dedicated time in which I can relax, read, run, and just be me, after so, so many press trips, marketing meetings, and the like. My husband understands this, and allows me a few days every season to go away, just me, to a favorite Alaska place to write, sleep in, drink coffee, and enjoy the view. “

Lindsey from Outside Mom: “I like to get out and exercise early in the morning. Starting the day with a hike, jog or mt.bike ride with just ‘me’ and my dog makes a HUGE difference in my day. It’s my morning cup of sanity.”

Here’s your chance for another fantastic giveaway.

Here’s the awesome giveaway package:

Aventura Celeste Bamboo Dress: So comfortable and perfect for anything.

Larabar: Box of mixed flavors. I always have a bar in my purse or backpack.

Eco-Vessel: Stainless Steel insulated straw water bottle. Great for daily activities and Moms must stay hydrated.

Tarma Designs: Super cute Trail Cairn necklace.

Women’s Adventure Magazine: Subscription of this women’s only magazine filled with motivation, inspiration and tips/ideas, gear reviews and features just for women. Great magazine!

How to enter:

Leave a comment sharing with us if you schedule ‘me time’ and what you do with that time? If you don’t get ‘me time’ why not?

Want extra entries? Here ya go!

Like Aventura Clothing on Facebook

Like Larabar on Facebook

Like Eco-Vessel on Facebook

Like Tarma Designs on Facebook

Like Women’s Adventure Magazine on Facebook

Like Adventure Tykes on Facebook

Tweet: I just entered to win a great giveaway from @adventuretykes including @womensadventure @ECOVESSEL @larabar @aventura http://wp.me/pNfdk-1vY

*leave a comment for each entry

Good luck!

**This giveaway ends Saturday at midnight (MST), May 12th and the winner will be announced on Mother’s Day, May 13th.

Make sure you check in tomorrow for the GRAND giveaway! You don’t want to miss it! Spread the word!!

Thank you Aventura Clothing, Eco-Vessel, Tarma Designs, Larabar and Women’s Adventure Magazine for providing these items for the giveaway. All opinions expressed are my own.

When Bedge and I were expecting with J-man many of our family, friends and even strangers told us our active lifestyle was about to come to a halt. Oh, how they were wrong. I’m not sure if they thought it was too risky to take an infant out hiking or camping or if they just didn’t think it was feasible. Either way, we carried on. We may not continue at the rate we did pre-child but we still get out and do the activities we love WITH J-Man. We have to go slower, take more gear, change things up a bit but we still do it.

As a new or expecting mom the thought of stepping outside with your newborn can sound daunting and even scary. Once you get into the swing of things and are comfortable caring for the little person in your arms you will want to venture out and share the world with them. At least, that’s how I felt with J-Man.

We were holed up in the house for 1 month after J-Man was born. (1 ENTIRE month and I almost went crazy) J-man was preemie, weighing 4lbs 11oz, and Swine Flu  (H1N1) was running rampant at the time. Being a new mom I wasn’t taking a chance of my little man getting sick. I will preface that I was a NEW, neurotic, overprotective mom…those being the main reasons I didn’t leave the house with a preemie for a month.

After 4 weeks of being surrounded by walls and artificial light I was eager to take J-Man outside. Let the sun shine on his face, let him feel the breeze in what little hair he had and take in some                                                                                               fresh air.

We started with little walks around the neighborhood and then we hit the trails.

J-Man went hiking at 6 weeks, camping at 3 months and we haven’t slowed down yet.

What I like to tell new and expecting moms is that you most definitely can continue your active lifestyle but things will change a bit.

Your pace will slow down requiring more patience.

You’ll need to be more flexible with scheduling.

You’ll haul more gear with you.

You MUST have a sense of humor.

Most importantly have fun. Having fun and enjoying the activities you love with your new little tyke is whats important.

Here is another fantastic giveaway dedicated to new and expecting moms.

Here’s the sweet giveaway package:

Belle Baby Carrier- Organic Moss front carrier. Love this! We used the exact one with J-Man

Mountain Mama: Expecting Adventure- Orcas Tee. Perfect for maternity and nursing. Made in the USA.

ThinkBaby Sunscreen- +SPF 30 for infants and toddlers. Great safety rating at Skin Deep.

Vapur-  Element bottle. Mom’s need to stay hydrated. Great bottle that collapses when empty.

Outdoor Research- Solstice Sun Hat. Start protecting your tyke early from the sun.

How to enter:

Leave a comment sharing with us how your active lifestyle has changed since your tykes have arrived. Do you still do the same activities, have you stopped being active or have you found new interests and activities in the outdoors?

And of course, EXTRA entries:

Like Belle Baby Carrier on Facebook

Like Mountain Mama – Expecting Adventure on Facebook

Like Vapur on Facebook

Like Outdoor Research on Facebook

Tweet - I just entered to win an awesome #giveaway package from @adventuretykes @BelleCarrier @MtMamaMaternity @vapur @ORGear http://wp.me/pNfdk-1yt

*leave a comment for each entry

Lots of extra entries! Woo hoo!

Good luck!

**This giveaway ends Saturday at midnight (MST), May 12th and the winner will be announced on Mother’s Day, May 13th.

Make sure you check in tomorrow for another terrific giveaway and why Moms deserve and NEED ‘me time’. Spread the word!!

Thank you Belle Baby Carrier, Mountain Mama – Expecting Adventure, ThinkBaby, Vapur and Outdoor Research for providing these items for the giveaway. All opinions expressed are my own.

As an active person who loves to hike, bike, climb, and go canyoneering I also love to spend time in the outdoors just relaxing, taking in the sun, the smells, the sounds and enjoy how rejuvenating it can be.

It was important for me and for Bedge to introduce J-man to the outdoors at an early age. We figure if we start him young he will, hopefully, fall in love and have an appreciation for nature and the world around us. We hope that he will enjoy the activities we introduce him to so we can continue doing them as a family. Also, being active outside has health benefits galore and beginning an active lifestyle young sets the foundation for that.

I’m already seeing, at age 3, the influence early introduction has had on J-Man when he comes home from school asking if we can go hiking or camping. That makes me one proud mama.

Although we do a lot of hiking, camping and soon climbing and canyoneering, we also spend a lot of time outdoors walking, playing at the park, having picnics and riding bikes. Not every outside activity has to be an adventure, although it is for most tykes. Getting outside away from the influences of TV’s, computers, video games and house hold duties allows you time to relax, spend one-on-one time with each other and it gives you some breaths of fresh air that definitely does a body good.

Some friends chimed in about why they share the outdoors with their tykes…

Erin from AK on the Go: “ I am the daughter of a forester who, at 80, can still out-hike and out-navigate me. My brother and sister and I grew up knowing more about our Pacific Northwest trees and shrubs than the latest cartoons. I never utilized a campground until high school, when we all rebelled and insisted on a place to sleep that didn’t necessitate a four-hour drive along a remote logging road. My dad sees the outdoors as Home. I see the outdoors as Love. It is also sort of like grace: freely offered, with no strings, warranties, or apps involved. We, as children, now parents ourselves, need only to accept this wonderful gift we’ve been given. I don’t think I could live any other way.”

Amelia from Tales of a Mountain Mama: “I am a BETTER mom when I am outside.  I am more free, more relaxed, and more readily available for my husband and kids.  Our family just runs smoother in the wilderness, drinking in the fresh air.  Our outdoor memories are the ones my husband and I treasure the most.  The lessons learned and adventures experienced outdoors are the ones that my kids remember the most.”

Tanya from Family Adventures in the Canadian Rockies: “It’s very important to me to share our love of hiking, camping, skiing, and playing outside with our son. We believe in spending both quality and quantity time together as a family every weekend and we want to do that while we share a common interest. We don’t want to leave our son behind while we go out to play in the mountains. Occasionally we leave our son with Grandma and enjoy an adults only adventure but most weekends we are out together bonding, enjoying family time, and exploring  together.

We also believe in starting early.  We want to teach our son to enjoy the outdoors now while he’s still small so that when he’s bigger we can do big adventures as a family.  You can’t expect a 10 year old to do a backpacking trip if he’s never walked more than 2 miles.  We hope that small steps now will lead to big steps later.”

Here’s another great giveaway package to help you stay active outdoors with your tykes.

YMX by Yellowman - Winter Flower Scoop Tank. Lightweight, breathable and super comfy.

Honey Stinger - Box of protein or energy bars (your pick) So yummy! I ALWAYS have them on a hike

Sweaty Bands – ‘No slip’ headbands and they are right. They stay on and are very cute.

Thorlos socks – Experia Cool Max. Comfortable for any activity and don’t leave your feet sweaty.

ThinkSports Sunscreen – SPF +50 with a great safety rating from Skin Deep, not greasy and no ‘sunscreen’ smell. Love it!

How to enter:

Comment below about why you share nature with your tykes or why you don’t.

Want some extra entries to help win this great giveaway package?

Here you go!

For extra entries:

Like Adventure Tykes on Facebook

Like YMX by Yellowman on Facebook

Like Honey Stinger on Facebook

Like Sweaty Bands on Facebook

Like Thorlos on Facebook

Like ThinkSport on Facebook

Tweet - I entered to win an awesome #giveaway package from @adventuretykes @thorlos @wearymx @honeystinger @thinkbaby_sport http://wp.me/pNfdk-1xx

*leave a comment below for each entry

Dang, that’s a lot of extra entries.

Good luck!

**This entry closes at midnight (MST) Saturday, May 12th and the winner will be announced on Mother’s Day, May 13th.

Make sure if you are a new or expecting mom that you check in tomorrow for a sweet giveaway! Spread the word, too!

Thank you YMX by Yellowman, Honey Stinger, Sweaty Bands, Thorlos and ThinkSport for sponsoring this giveaway. 

Welcome to the first day of my Mother’s Day Tribute.

Woo hoo!

I’m super excited to share this week with Moms and expecting Moms! Why put Adventure Tykes posts on hold for this? Because Moms are awesome, Moms work hard and Moms deserve some kick ass products.

I will be sharing fun and insightful stories from Moms, discuss how Moms deserve and NEED ‘me time’, what’s in store for new and expecting Moms and why some Moms share the outdoors with their children.

And everyday, yes, EVERYDAY I will be giving away awesome products that I love and I know any Mom would love. We are talking products from Sierra Designs, Isis, Aventura, Overland Equipment, Eno Hammocks, Larabar, Nuu-Muu, Hi-Tec and so many more. Make sure you check in on Friday for the GRAND giveaway!

So let’s get this party started!

I became a Mom 3 years ago and although I heard how great it was to be a Mom and all the wonderful experiences other Moms had I couldn’t quite grasp the extent of how wonderful it truly is, until J-Man came along.

I think you can explain, share and describe what it is like to be a Mom but until you actually are a Mom there’s no real way to experience the joy, love, excitement, bond, as well as, the frustration, disappointment and the test of your patience. Oh, yes, testing my patience is a good time and J-man is a pro.

I had a dog and loved him dearly and treated him like a kid. He went everywhere with us and I thought that was kinda like being a Mom.

Um, not. at. all.

Dogs are so much easier to take care of. They don’t talk back, throw tantrums (at least not mine), repeat every bad word you say (or call their classmate a bad word. That’s another story.), you can lock them in a crate when you aren’t home and most days you can sleep in.

So what the heck was I thinking when I decided to have a child?

I wanted to be a Mom and everything that it entailed.

Being a Mom is so many things but one of the best parts for me is sharing the world with J-Man. I love introducing him to new surroundings, activities and people. Seeing his response from unfiltered eyes and an unjaded mind is refreshing and a reminder of innocence and acceptance of children. The excitement and joy he displays is awesome and I’m always astounded by the knowledge he gains.

I asked some friends what the best part of being a mom is and here are their responses…

Tiffany from  A Little Campy: “What is the best part of being a mom? The hugs! The next best thing is being able to see the world through the eyes of a child again.  When a child looks at the world, they are excited, amazed and filled with wonder.  You lose some of that by the time you become an adult. But when you have children, you get to see the world as a wonderful, special place once again.”

Lindsey from Outside Mom: “Convincing my kids that I have super powers. I may not be able to shoot webs out of my snow gloves, or ice our of my soccer shin guards (like my kids), but I have eyes in the back of my head and can hear what’s going on clear upstairs! My kids are impressed.

We all know that I LOVE shoes and I am always on the hunt for cute, comfortable shoes that I can be active in. When Dr. Scholl’s Shoes invited me to try out their Jennie shoes, well of course, I jumped at the offer.

I have to be honest though and say that when the brand Dr. Scholl’s was mentioned my first thoughts were Dr. Scholl’s Orthotics and the sandals with a wood platform. Remember those from way back when? If not, here’s a reminder…

Still very cute but I was thinking…um, not so much for my active lifestyle. When the Jennie shoes were shown to me I was intrigued and ready to try them out.

I started wearing them this winter around town, running errands and going on walks with J-Man. I received lots of compliments about how cute they were. Cuteness? Check! They come in 5 color options, appealing to almost everyone.

The first time I wore the Jennie shoes I was amazed by how comfortable they were. They have a neoprene collar around the top of the shoe that stretches as you walk, skip, jump or schlep along, allowing you more freedom to move without the collar or tongue of the shoe restricting you. They also have Free Step technology that provides… “massaging gel insoles and a flexible outsole for unhindered forward motion, a natural foot strike, and a soft fit that shapes to the foot.”  Comfortable? Check!

They also have Energy Wave technology… “we developed an anatomical insole wrapped in flexible, massaging grooves for all day comfort. Their collapsible, molded structure is designed to absorb shock at impact and reduce pressure along the bottom of the foot.” You can definitely feel the comfort of the technology while gallivanting around town and, especially, when you are running after a toddler, playing at the park, exploring a nature path and chasing the dogs. They are lightweight, breathable, the laces stay tied (that’s important) and the outsole has enough traction that you don’t slip. Can I be active in them? Check!

Dislikes: None so far.

Bottom line: Cute and comfortable shoes that suit my active lifestyle. I guess that’s why I wear them All.The.Time.

Dr. Scholl’s has reinvented their line of shoes and they sure have some great styles with reasonable prices. Check out what else they have available at Dr. Scholl’s Shoes.

Dr. Scholl’s provided me the Jennie shoes to wear and review. All opinions are my own.

Little Adventure Tyke contemplating what type of flowers those are.

]]> http://www.adventuretykes.com/hiking-2/adventure-tyke-photo-of-the-week-what-flowers-are-those/feed/ 1 http://www.adventuretykes.com/national-parks-2/last-weekend-to-visit-free-inspiring-pictures/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=last-weekend-to-visit-free-inspiring-pictures http://www.adventuretykes.com/national-parks-2/last-weekend-to-visit-free-inspiring-pictures/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:00:08 +0000 admin http://www.adventuretykes.com/?p=5788 read more)]]>  

It’s the last weekend for FREE entrance to our national parks. Who’s going?

I love it when my readers share their pictures and stories. Here are some pictures to help inspire you to visit one of our national parks this weekend.

photo courtesy of Leave More

photo courtesy of AK on the Go

Big thanks to everyone who shared their pictures.

So who is visiting a national park this weekend and which one? Which is your favorite national park? If you could visit any national park which one would it be?

In honor of National Parks week I am excited to share with you Michael Lanza’s newest book Before They’re Gone - A Family’s Year-Long Quest to Explore America’s Most Endangered National Parks.

Michael Lanza is a veteran freelance outdoors writer and photographer. He is the northwest editor of Backpacker magazine, where his articles about the impacts of climate change on Montana’s Glacier National Park and other wild lands helped Backpacker win a National Magazine Award. He runs the website TheBigOutside (TheBigOutside.com).

We all know that I am a HUGE fan of our national parks and we have visited many with so many more on our bucket list. When we plan trips with J-Man a national park is usually one of our stopping points. J-man is 3 years old and has been to 11 national parks already. We get to camp, hike, add to J-man’s book collection from their visitor center and take in all the beauty they have to offer. It amazes me that there are folks who have lived in Moab their entire life and have never visited either of the national parks that are so close. Arches NP is 10 minutes from Moab and Canyonlands NP is 45 minutes. Completely crazy to me. Visitors come from around the world to visit these parks and locals don’t even experience it for themselves.

When I was asked to review Michael Lanza’s book Before They’re Gone I jumped on it. Lanza and his wife, Penny are hardcore outdoor enthusiasts who share their passions with their 2 young children, Alex and Nate, so, of course, I wanted to read all about that. I was also excited to read about the national parks Lanza ventured to with his wife and children and especially interested on his take of climate change and it’s effects on these places that have been preserved and protected but are now in danger.

Lanza along with his wife and 2 children and sometimes friends embarked on a year long adventure visiting 11 national parks that are being affected drastically by climate change. Lanza thought it was important to make the time NOW and show his children what these parks have to offer, how they have changed from his previous experiences visiting them and what they will look like in the coming years.

It was fun to read through the book and know exactly where they were at particular times in the parks since I’ve been to many of those locations. My palms got sweaty and my heart stopped as Lanza described a treacherous path during their hike in the Grand Canyon.

“I stop and stare at the trail ahead of us with the feeling like I’ve recently eaten something I shouldn’t have. Little more than a foot wide and plastered in hardpacked snow and ice, it clings to the face of a cliff with a drop-off of hundreds of feet. It evokes a ledge outside a skyscraper window on the eightieth floor, in a northern city locked in winter. At the trail’s narrowest point, the cliff bulges outward, as if the rock wall had a conscious desire to hip-check us into the yawning abyss of the Grand Canyon”. 

Lanza traverses that ledge with is seven-year-old daughter gripping his hand and having every ounce of faith that her dad with guide them safely around the corner.

“So I smile and wink at Alex and tell her to “take small steps and go slow.” She nods and winks back-we have an understand. We shuffle forward. With my free hand, I clutch scrawny plants tenuously rooted to cracks oin the crumbly cliff face. A minute crawls past like an epoch. We round the corner to where the trail widens and becomes less exposed. Penny says, “Nice job, Alex,” and offers me a smile. I exhale a two-lug load of relief.”

Would you have continued on the trail or turned back?  I contemplated that question over and over and I still don’t know what I would have done.

 Although Lanza interviewed scientists, park rangers and naturalists to give us an accurate view of the past, present and future of these national parks this book is much more than a scientific book with facts and statistics about climate change. This book is filled with history of these national parks and humor as Lanza describes events and situations they happen upon. There is much seriousness when discussing climate change and how it’s affecting these precious areas. There is also guidance and parenting as Lanza shares these experiences with his children and adapts to their abilities in the wilderness.

“I’ve learned that hiking with kids is a bit like trying to predict the wind; things can seem to be in your favor, or not, and then abruptly reverse direction. I watch them for subtle hints of fatigue or hunger, such as lagging pace. They lack an adult’s self-awareness. They drink when I urge them, but not always enough. They’ll complain one moment that hiking embodies the most inhumane form of “torture,” and “this is the worst day of my life!” The next, they’ll dash ahead, suddenly excited. They imprecise barometers of their own physical condition. So I read them like an ancient mariner searching the night sky, trying to anticipate their needs before trouble arises.”

This book is inspiring and motivating. It has inspired me to make some of these places an urgency and priority to visit. I am anxious to kayak Glacier Bay National Park and backpack in Grand Teton National Park with J-Man. I am motivated to make changes to my carbon footprint and to contribute to the slowing of climate change.

This is one book you will thoroughly enjoy reading.

I had the opportunity to ask Michael Lanza some questions that were triggered from his book and here are his detailed and thoughtful answers…

1.  How can we motivate parents to share with their children the importance and value of the national parks? (They were, after all, deemed national parks for a reason)

As bloggers, we can help motivate people through our stories and images, of course. Those are powerful motivators.

We all can also have a direct impact on the people we know and meet through encouraging them—and allaying their concerns if they have never visited a national park, or believe they’re not capable of hiking, or worry about safety. There are many people, from my immediate family (my parents, some siblings, nieces and nephews) to friends and acquaintances, who have become outdoors lovers because I took them out somewhere. I first fell in love with hiking when I was in my early twenties because friends took me hiking. Personal relationships are the best way to introduce someone to something new. It seems like a small start, but from small seeds grow big trees.

2. How did you physically and emotionally prepare Nate and Alex for their adventures?

Great question, and one I could write a book about. (Hey, there’s an idea!) But short of that, I would sum up my approach with four basic principles that also apply to introducing adults to a new outdoor activity:

1. Take small, conservative steps in your progression toward bigger challenges. If a child has never hiked more than, say, four miles in one day, work gradually up to hikes of six, seven miles and longer.

2. Evaluate not only the physical challenge of an outing, but the mental and emotional challenges of something that looks daunting or is unfamiliar to a child. What’s easy and familiar to you may intimidate a kid. Consider how your child has handled some previous experience that presented comparable stress potential.

For example, when I was thinking about taking my nine- and seven-year-old kids sea kayaking in Alaska’s Glacier Bay for this book, I considered that, even though they had never sea kayaked or been to Alaska (where weather can be very cold and wet), my kids had taken several backpacking trips, rock climbed, and cross-country skied in snowstorms. Not only do they have good endurance, but maybe most importantly, they understand that trips can have difficult, uncomfortable moments, and they follow instructions. Our guides were okay with relaxing their minimum-age requirement based on our kids’ past experience outdoors, and ultimately the guides were impressed with how well Nate and Alex handled that trip’s challenges.

3. Explain to your kids exactly what you will all be doing and what’s expected of them. Talk to them about it and make sure they understand. Welcome their questions and address their concerns. Let them know that you won’t ask them to do anything they are not comfortable with, and let them know that you are there to provide whatever help they need. Make them feel like they’re part of the decision-making process, so they have a sense of control over their own fate—which goes a long way toward relieving stress, no matter what your age.

4. Remember that kids look to their parents for a sense of how they should react to a potentially scary situation. Always show your kids that you are calm and in control. Show and tell them that you have faith in their ability to handle this challenge.

3. In your opinion is climate change an evolutionary process that is being sped up by humans or do you believe we have started this chain reaction?

Few subjects in science have been studied as much in recent years as climate change, and there remains no serious doubt about some fundamental conclusions: the Earth’s average land and sea temperatures are rising in conjunction with rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and oceans, and our burning of fossil fuels is the primary driver behind it. The planet’s climate is no longer operating entirely under natural forces, as it had for four billion years. We humans are holding the steering wheel of climate, but we don’t know how to drive this car, and it’s careening out of control.

Many scientists now believe that a rise of 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in average temperatures worldwide is unavoidable in this century, which could erase 40 percent of all species on the planet. I have to say it was really troubling to interview one leading scientist after another and hear every one of them express fear that we’re facing the greatest disaster in the history of human civilization—and that this fallout could occur within the lifetimes of my children, if not within my own lifetime.

Many scientists I interviewed echoed the comments of USGS research ecologist Nathan Stephenson, who told me, “Sometimes people say, ‘If this has happened in the past, why should we be worried?’ The simple answer is: you would not have wanted to be alive then. Civilizations have fallen on slight changes in climate.”

As I wrote in my book: Our conversation about climate has not achieved the degree of honesty we would use when talking with our own kids. We would not encourage them to make choices fraught with such a high degree of risk. Yet we as a people have embraced just that kind of choice time and again.

We have no reasonable option but to do much better.

4. You state in the book, “In one generation, we changed attitudes in America toward smoking cigarettes, driving while intoxicated, and wearing seatbelts…”. I believe those changes occurred quickly because all of those are much more personal. Seeing a loved one die of lung cancer, from being hit by a drunk driver or dying from a car accident where a seatbelt could have saved a life is a more personal consequence than the effects of climate change. Climate change is occurring on a more general scale that many do not even notice. How can we help the people understand the significance of it?

You’re right about that. Climate change feels more distant, both geographically and in time. But it seems that’s changing quickly. A recent poll showed a large majority of Americans believe that extreme weather events of recent years are connected to climate change. Record high temperatures are being constantly recorded all over the world. Major corporations are calculating the impacts of the shifting climate on their business. The Pentagon is preparing for a world growing more politically unstable as societies grapple with figuring out how to simply feed their people as crop failures increase.

I think we’re at the brink of a tectonic shift in public perception and understanding of climate change, one that could, hopefully, drive public policy in the right direction. We have to hope—especially for our children and grandchildren—this will happen fast enough and isn’t coming too late.

5. There are numerous actions we can take to help slow down climate change. For a busy family without much time on their hands to stop and think about appropriate choices what would be your top 3 changes they could make that would help contribute to slowing down climate change?

People can do a Web search and find reams of good advice on personal steps we can all easily take. But these would be my top three:

1. Reduce your personal carbon footprint through any or all of these easy steps: lower your thermostat in winter and use less air conditioning in summer; improve your home insulation; turn off unneeded lights; switch over to compact fluorescent light bulbs (which use two-thirds less electricity, saving money as well); and burn less gasoline by driving a more economical car and driving less (consolidate your local car trips, and walk or bike instead of driving whenever possible—which I find far more pleasurable than driving).

2. Plant a tree, which will absorb about one ton of carbon dioxide in its lifetime.

3. Write a letter to your congressman or congresswoman urging him or her to support aggressive legislation to curb emissions of greenhouse gases.

Thank you Michael for a wonderful read and an insight into our national parks.

Purchase Michaels book Before They’re Gone and check out his website, The Big Outside, for other fascinating and inspiring stories.

Now for the…

Win a copy of Before They’re Gone

Leave a comment below sharing which national park is your favorite or if you haven’t visited one, which one you would like to visit.

This giveaway will end Thursday, May 3rd at midnight (MST)

Thank you Michael Lanza and Beacon Press for providing a book for this giveaway and review.