by Jennifer Fontaine - Once coveted by health mavens in secret back aisles of expensive health food stores, freshly-squeezed juices can now be enjoyed by the gallon in the most mainstream grocery stores around the world. I've even been on the streets of Istanbul, where you can pay less than a dollar to appoint a gleeful Turk with the duty of juicing a vibrantly ripe pomegranate … [Read more...]
Supporting Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
by Heather Mundt - Ever wanted to add garden-fresh produce to your diet but lack enough time or a green thumb to tend your own? Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) might be the answer. Offering the bountiful varieties of produce readily available at farmer's markets, CSAs take gardening a step further by allowing consumers to invest in a farm for a regular share of its … [Read more...]
Worldschooling – The World as Your Classroom
by Sabrina Norrie In some ways we've always loved the concept of ?worldschooling,? or using the world as a classroom, long before we even knew it had a name. Having traveled my entire life and marrying an outdoorsy man, we loved how we felt as a couple being in this world together and learning from it. And there was no question we would continue to do so as parents. From … [Read more...]
Cafeteria Crunchy – Welcome Imperfect Environmentalists
by Elizabeth Small - "STOP! I need you to roll down my window! Now, mama! Please!?" My 4-year-old-daughter pleaded in shouts from the backseat. Fearing she was sick, I quickly pulled the car over and opened her window. Straightaway, she popped her little head out of the window, and shouted: "You! Over there!" She yelled to a 40-something, rough-and-tumble man as he tossed … [Read more...]
Everyday Family Bicycling
by David Pulsipher I've seen the glances from people in their warm, cool, or dry car (depending on the season) with what looks like pity, or perhaps shock. As the rain pelts and the wind nearly drives me to a halt, I think to myself, "Do they see me and wonder why I would choose to bike in such inclement weather?" I can't blame them. As a year-round bike commuter in … [Read more...]
The Rubber Handcuffs: Your Fitness Tracker is Not Making You Crazy, You?re Nuts Already and The Tracker is Simply Confronting You About it
by Elizabeth Small In order to understand the competitive nature of my family, you need to know one thing: As a kid, the popular game ?Pictionary? had to be unceremoniously removed from our family home because it ended one too many times with tears, accusations of shortcomings in moral character, and veiled threats of retribution. There are families that play games together, … [Read more...]
The Great Outdoor Clean Up: Getting community involved and connected
by Jennifer Fontaine - From the bustling cobblestone streets of old-town Brussels to the seafood-filled air of the Louisiana bayou villages, the world's communities are constantly shaping and changing, welcoming and growing. With this growth comes great opportunity and responsibility for residents of our shared space to assume ownership and clean up of the important … [Read more...]
Family Summertime Adventure in Vail, Colo.
by Heather Mundt Llamas Pacheco and Durango stood stoic, hitched in the bed of the Paragon Guides truck parked at the West Grouse Creek Trail trailhead southwest of Vail, Colo. Our guide Donny Shefchik would soon unhitch them, the beasts of burden who would also serve as the day?s hiking companions. But first he had some serious business to discuss with the boys. ?OK, … [Read more...]
The Importance of Covering Mirrors – Being beautiful in nature
by Elizabeth Small I try to model a positive body image for my daughters. I never once commented on the massacre that was my postpartum body (at least, not within earshot). And I didn?t even flinch when my daughter told a room full of strangers, ?My Mama?s belly is so ?squishy.?? Yet despite my best efforts, I still struggle with consistency. Recently my 4-year-old … [Read more...]
Interview with Kathleen Bunn – The 90-day road trip
By Kathleen Bunn with Heather Mundt - As a mom of two boys, I was fascinated to learn about Kathleen Bunn, a mom who has braved not one but three extended family road trips with four boys, ages 15, 13, 11 and 9, in three years. With a final goal to visit all 50 states, the first trip comprised 50 days through the Southwest U.S. Last year's journey included 70 days across the … [Read more...]
Navajo Fry Bread – A Taste of Tradition
by Peggy Bogaard-Lapp Under the shade of her awning, Navajo Native American Bertha Elkriver pulls a small ball of dough from the bucket next to her propane stove. She finesses the dough with experienced hands, pulling it into a disc shape, and with a quick movement pokes a small hole with her finger in the center of the dough before laying it gently into the cast-iron … [Read more...]
Choose your own adventure road trip
by Heather Mundt Lauren Runyon had one goal in mind for her children's 2015 spring break from school: sit poolside on a lounge chair somewhere warm to escape her hectic life and Colorado's bleak winter. Translation? This married mom of four and middle school teacher from Westminster, Colo., just wanted to head south. Since the family had but one obligation that week, a … [Read more...]
First-time camping tips from a reluctant camper
by Heather Mundt - Some first time campers just instinctively know the best tips and tricks for family car camping. Some beginner campers make camping organization look like they've been doing it all their lives. And then there are the money-saving camping hacks that flow effortlessly from those who haven't ever even set foot in a campground. I was not any of those … [Read more...]
Vermicomposting: How I Learned to Love My Worms
By Elizabeth Small ?Mama! Come see what Daddy got us!? My 4-year-old daughter tugged at my pant leg, wide-eyed and pulsing, head darting about like a prairie dog, the way little kids do when they are at peak excitement. Clasped in my husband?s hands was a tab-top, brown bag, the kind that is certain to contain coffee or fancy chocolates. My mouth salivated as I walked … [Read more...]
Exploring Belize and Guatemala with three generations
By Suzanne Solsona - When you are married to a man who has seemingly been everywhere and done everything, traveling to a place that renders him speechless is quite a feat. Caye (pronounced "key") Caulker, Belize and the ruins of Tikal in Guatemala managed exactly that, enthralling three generations of our family in just two short weeks. In March 2011 my husband, Javier, our … [Read more...]
Seattle Day Trips: Big Four Ice Caves
By Brittany Schultz It's that time of year again when the Beatles song "Dear Prudence" comes to mind: The sun is out, the sky is blue...And you know what that means: It's summertime, the season to get out of the house and embrace the warm weather. A good start? Day trips are the perfect way to get outside and entertain the whole family. In the Pacific Northwest, we're … [Read more...]
SubUrban Outdoors: the new victory garden
by Elizabeth Small "The destiny of nations depends on the manner in which they feed themselves." ? Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, 18th-century culinary expert If you were born during or around World War II, chances are good you remember Victory Gardens as a patriotic, home-front effort through which private citizens planted food to mitigate pressure on the country?s supply … [Read more...]
