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June 19, 2017

Biking with Kids: Prevelo Alpha Three Review

We introduced you to the new kids bike company, Prevelo, a few weeks ago with our post on teaching kids how to change gears. Bergen, our 5.5 year old has been riding Prevelo’s Alpha Three for about 2 months now. He transitioned from a 16 inch bike, his first bike with pedals, this April to the 20″ Alpha Three.

The opportunity to partner with Prevelo came at the perfect time: Just when Bergen’s riding was starting to pick up again (after the rainy winter), and just when we realized he was looking over-sized and hunched over on his 16″ bike!

You’ll learn more in the sections to follow, but Bergen’s transition to a 20″ inch bike brought on a lot of new milestones. Because of his new riding capabilities, he started riding on streets with us, joined us on longer riding adventures, and even participated in an 11-mile ride with our city’s cycling club!

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June 11, 2017

Celebrating Dad Sustainably: 11 Ways Families Can Go Green this Father’s Day

As an ambassador for Dawn Dish Soap, this post in written in partnership with their Dawn Helps Save Wildlife campaign.

What are your favorite ways to celebrate Father’s Day? As I look back on the celebrations we’ve had for my husband Slaed these last six years, it’s the experiences more than the actual presents that stick out to me. Planning a special day to honor Dad will not only create amazing memories, but it’s also the more sustainable choice!

I could be wrong, but chances are, Dad has everything he needs. A physical gift would likely just add household clutter and inevitably end up in our landfills. Let’s rethink the ties, socks, t-shirts, and tools of past Father’s Days. Instead, consider recognizing the Dads in our life in a more environmentally friendly way. Let’s impact the earth positively rather than add to the problem.

In an effort to encourage an environmentally friendly Father’s Day, I’ve compiled 11 ideas for families. The list includes:

Ways to educate and build awareness about our natural world
Ways to enjoy the outdoors with minimal impact
Ways to volunteer or give back to the environment

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June 7, 2017

100 Days of Nature Lessons

Have you heard of The 100 Day Project? It’s a challenge to do something creative everyday for 100 days led by artist, Elle Luna. That “creative something” centers around a theme, and can include but is not limited to painting, drawing, sculpting, writing, the list goes on and on! The point is to choose an action to do for 100 days. The more specific, the better.

I was inspired to start the project by Elise Blaha Cripe. She designs an amazing planner that I use called Get to Work Book, and also hosts the Elise Gets Crafty podcast. Last year, she challenged herself to write a pep talk (paired with a photo) everyday for 100 days. This year she is designing and creating a plant themed fabric square each day that will eventually be turned into a quilt!

While I love art and the idea of being creative, I’m not the most crafty person. However, the challenge of doing something everyday for 100 days was highly motivating. I felt like I was bound to at least learn something. Along with learning a few things along the way, I also knew that by the end of the 100 days, I’d have a collection that, if nothing else, told a great story.

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May 23, 2017

Summer Sandals for Active Kids: M.A.P. Sandals Review

It’s finally sandal season here in Seattle, and we are celebrating! Our travels to the Caribbean this spring allowed us to get a jump start in testing the fun kids sandals from M.A.P. shoes, so I’m looking forward to sharing our thoughts. We also hope it might help you make your decisions as you prepare for an adventurous summer season!

You may have read our review of the M.A.P. Footwear sneakers last fall. We also appreciated their cozy boots to keep Georgia’s toes warm this past winter. We are big fans of the brand! In addition to trying out the Emmons Fisherman Sandals (for Bergen) and the Niagara T Fisherman Sandals (for Georgia) during our vacation on St. John, we’ve also put them to the test this spring. Activities have included biking, hiking, scootering, beach play, and of course just typical day to day life of errand running and family hustle and bustle.

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May 19, 2017

Biking with Kids: 6 Tips for Helping Kids Learn to Change Gears

Did you know that May is National Bike Month? We couldn’t think of a better time of year to get back into bicycling regularly. We recently partnered with a new kids bike company called Prevelo Bikes. The owner, Jacob is passionate about getting kids on two wheels and the freedom, confidence, and FUN that comes with this healthy activity. I love how he summarized watching his two sons riding their bikes:

Like watching a sunrise in the high Sierras while eating a fish taco with fresh guacamole and getting a foot massage awesome.

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May 9, 2017

St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands with Kids: 7-day Itinerary + Photo Tour

It’s a lot of work to get two young children to St. John (U.S. Virgin Islands) from Seattle, but my husband and I can say with confidence that it’s well worth it! Because we have a 2-year old who isn’t so keen on sitting still, and hasn’t yet given in to the power of movies and games on the tablet, we broke the trip up.

First we flew from Seattle to Philadelphia, and stayed the night in a hotel near the airport. The following morning, bright and early, we flew from Philadelphia to St. Thomas. We then took a 45-minute taxi ride to the ferry dock. And finally with much anticipation, we took a wild 20-minute ferry boat ride to Cruz Bay, St. John!

We opted to rent a car on St. John, so we also had the pleasure of walking with our 5+ pieces of luggage to the car rental spot along bumpy sidewalks. When our car rental registration was complete, we were off on just a 5 minute drive to our rental house.

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