Getting Outside : Week Day Doses

*As the corona virus is pushing us to stay home, it doesn’t mean that it has to keep us inside! We’re re-publishing this post with the hopes that you’ll take care of your mental and physical health by finding moments to get outside.

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Recently Katie shared a great post encouraging you to Get Outside! In it, she included a bunch of tips for heading out the door and after reading it, I wanted to focus on the first one: Take it easy. You don’t need an epic adventure to reap the benefits of nature. This is so true and something that’s often forgotten.

Getting outside is as simple as leaving the four walls that confine you. That’s it. Step out into the light.

I know I know this, that we all know this, but I think it was made even more clear to me while attending Adventure Fridays at Townsend Bertram & Co last week. On the third Friday of every month, TB&C invites the community to a free event to listen to an adventurous speaker and drink free beer from Steel String Brewery. The community gathers, gains inspiration, and then chats for a bit before parting ways.

Last week’s message was about the therapeutic nature of the outdoors. How nature heals us, makes us happier, and healthier humans. That was actually the main focus of my July Crafting Ritual and Cultivating Mindfulness Retreat. I was excited to go and learn from these ladies and to share my own experiences. When I arrived, I was delighted to see that the event was being held on the back deck of the shop instead of inside. This simple shift caused the whole crew of 20-30 people to spend two hours outside that otherwise would have been spent inside. I even came home with a few simple tips for spending even more time outside.

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Spend More Minutes Outside:

  • Eat breakfast, drink coffee or tea outside each morning
  • Make phone calls outdoors
  • Pay bills outside
  • Fold laundry on your porch
  • Hang up a hammock or set up a chill spot outside
  • Invest in an outdoor hobby that doesn’t require much like hiking, biking, disk golf, etc
  • Set up an outdoor play spot (for kids this could be as simple as a rock pit, for adults as easy as a basketball hoop or disk golf hole)
  • Treat your dog walk as your own walk instead of a chore
  • Read outside whether it’s the newspaper, your kid’s report card, or your novel
  • Walk to get your mail instead of picking it up out of your car window
  • Walk to the coffee shop, post office, or any errands that are nearby
  • Eat outdoors – whether it’s at home or at a restaurant
  • Make it a family thing, maybe you walk around the block every evening before bedtime
  • Commute outdoors, even if it’s once a week, you could cycle or walk every Wednesday
  • Schedule outdoor time, sometimes all it takes is holding ourselves accountable
  • Don’t hesitate to visit the same trail you’ve hiked a hundred times, you haven’t seen it on this day at this hour
  • End your evening with wine, beer, or a smoke on your stoop
  • Shower outside (better start working on that outdoor shower 😉 )
  • Sleep on a sleeping porch (okay, this one also requires you to have a sleeping porch, but man I want one!)

These ideas may seem simple and yet how often do we act on them? Just yesterday, I decided to make some calls while sitting out on my stoop. Normally, I would dread calling AAA and the mechanic and my cell phone company, but as I sat outside I was able to hear the bugs and the birds, watch a silly squirrel shoving way too many nuts in its mouth, and meet a new neighbor and dog. All of which wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t pop out to make the calls. Think of all the magical little moments you’re missing when you’re doing the mundane inside? Take it outdoors!

Life-long Learning!

If you like learning, check out some of our DIY posts.
*This post was originally published in November of 2019. We’re republishing it now, because the new year is the perfect time to set a 2020 resolution to learn something new. It may be a new skill from CreativeBug (see our tip below for a free account!), or it may be that you want to learn some new science from a Coursera class. The sky’s the limit!*

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When I was an undergrad, my university had a vibrant life-long learning program. Do you know what I’m talking about? It was geared towards older individuals that wanted to take classes, but we’re in a degree program. Maybe they’d take a History of Jazz class one semester and then a paleontology class the next.

Every time I saw an life-long learning student/senior citizens on campus, I was JEALOUS. College was stressful, but I loved learning, and I would daydream about how much fun it would be to take classes without the heavy workload or the stress of grades.

Well, I just realized this summer, that my time has come!  Continue reading

Winter Layers for Kids

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We spend a LOT of time outside between hikes, playground visits, and nature play sessions. The one thing that I always notice at this time of year, is the drop-off in kids at these different events.

I totally get it. It can be hard to motivate to get outside once winter weather arrives. BUT, after playing through the seasons for the past few years, I’ve come to rely on a few specific brands and types of gear.

Here are our favorite laying options for winter adventures.

  • Oaki rain suit: I bought these a little bit big so that they’d last for at least two years, and so far they’ve held up wonderfully. This is a water and wind-proof suit and makes for a nice thin outer layer. It’s great on rainy days, snowy days, or even just blustery days. I prefer it over snow suits because they are often super bulky, and with this suit, you can add your own layers underneath to get the insulation just right for the day’s weather.
  • Bogs: We’ve been using bogs for the past 5 years, and again, this is a product that I love. Bogs are waterproof and come with different insulation levels. The boots are a little bit heavy, but my boys have never minded.
  • Puffer: When it comes to layering under the rain suit, I opt for a puffer. We have puffers that are thin but warm, perfect for allowing the boys to stay agile and warm.
  • Smartwool socks: Good wool socks are worth the money. Wool provides fantastic insulation, even when it gets wet – perfect for those days when they are too adventurous near the water. I only have a couple pair of wool socks for the boys, enough to have one pair at the ready while the other is washing.
  • Sunscreen : In Colorado, the winter sunshine is no joke. When we don’t have our homemade supply on hand, we love Badger sunscreen for its equally simple ingredients.
  • Wool Base Layers : wool base layers are an investment, but if you’re going to be spending a lot of time outside, there’s nothing like the temperature regulation provided by wool.
  • Fleece Bottoms : We love these fleece-lined leggings! The boys will often wear them alone or as a layer under the rainsuits. These are from Primary, and if you’re interested in buying some, I have a friends and family code ( PRIMARYKATHRYND539 ) that will get you 25% off your first order.

I didn’t include a hat or gloves on this list. For hats, we’re always wearing something that I knit. When it comes to gloves, I feel like I’m still on the hunt for a perfect pair for small hands. My boys don’t love mittens because of the limited dexterity, but I haven’t found the perfect gloves yet.

Fortunately, we have our winter layers so dialed in that we can head out the door with minimal effort, but I’d love to hear from you – anything that you consider essential that didn’t make my list?

Seattle Weekend Getaway and Day Hike to Colchuck Lake – Central Cascades

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If you’re looking for an amazing autumn getaway near Seattle and you’ve already visited the beautiful crystal clear Blue Lake, head to Colchuck Lake as it is just as gorgeous! Another alpine lake, Colchuck Lake is surrounded by mountains and lined with plenty of boulders to sit on and snack the afternoon away. Take a dip if you dare, but remember your quick-dry towel and warm puffy jacket because Colchuck Lake sits at an elevation of 5,570 feet. We hiked Colchuck during the final weekend of September when the undergrowth was popping with color, the air was crisp, the sun was hiding, and the breeze encouraged a quick pace to the top.

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Colorado Hiking: Devil’s Thumb Trail

If you want to read about more of our hiking and camping adventures, you can find them here. And if you want more Colorado hikes, they’re here.

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Last weekend I went on my first big hike in years, and it felt amazing. Click on to read about my little day hike across the continental divide from one Colorado ski-town to another. Continue reading

Read with Me : The Soul of an Octopus

In 2018,  we started a series called ‘Read With Me’ where we are sharing all most of what we’ve read each month in hopes you’ll follow suit and dust off that book you’ve been meaning to devour! Here are all the previous Read With Me posts.

There’s no denying that I’m on a non-fiction kick! It started with The Beast in the Garden, continued with The Soul of an Octopus, and there’s no end in sight as the two books I’m working on now are both non-fiction.

The Soul of an Octopus takes us into the intimate relationship that the author and other employees at the Boston Aquarium develop with the resident octopuses. In researching this book, Ms. Montgomery begins to make weekly trips from her home to the aquarium to visit the octopuses.

As you learn, the specific octopuses she visits change throughout the book due to a number of different circumstances. And through her writing, we learn about the unique personalities of these octopuses and of many others as she passes along stories told to her by scientists, divers, and other octopus enthusiasts.

It becomes clear early on in the book that octopuses are amazing creatures, and that we still have a lot to learn about them.

  • We already know that octopuses are masters of disguise, but the more we study them, the more we understand that this is a learned ability and can vary greatly from one individual to the next.
  • Octopuses have the ability to taste and pick up the faintest of chemical signals with the suckers along the length of their arms. They can identify individual humans based upon how the person “tastes”, and so, it’s believed that it’s likely that they can likely taste if a person’s emotions change. The book goes into detail on these points and so many others.
  • Rather than one brain, octopuses have nine! A central brain and eight smaller brains in each of their arms. They seem to be extremely clever and can get bored in tanks with sparse environments. There are a number of stories about octopuses escaping their tanks, without bones, they’re able to squeeze through the smallest of holes. Sadly, these escapades don’t all end well.

I thought that this was a particularly great book for readers that enjoy learning about animals, but may not want the density of a typical scientific article. I think of it as the Discovery Channel version of book, and that’s definitely not a bad thing. This is non-fiction beach reading at its finest!

Sy Montgomery also has an octopus book for kids! Inky’s Amazing Escape is the true story about an octopus’ amazing escape from an aquarium in New Zealand.

Books I’m reading now :

The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs by Tristan Gooley

The Day the Earth Caved In by Joan Quigley

Winter World by Bernd Heinrich

Our Favorite Nature Books

It’s Amazon Prime Day, and we’re re-sharing a few of our favorite book lists. Last year, I shared my six favorite wilderness reads, books I would take on the trail with me or read by headlamp in a tent.

If you’ve been following along, Kate and I are hittin’ the books hard this year. Our Read With Me series is growing each month and as we close out April, earth month, we wanted to share our favorite nature reads with you. It was hard for me to pick only a handful, but these are the first ones that came to mind and they’re all quite different at that.

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Our Favorite Nature Reads :

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Nature Books Master List : Kid Edition

It’s Amazon Prime Day, so we’re re-sharing some of our favorite book posts. Below is our master list of nature-related books for kids.

We love good books. Who doesn’t?

Below you’ll find a running list of our favorite nature books for kids. Have something to recommend? Let us know in the comments!

If you’d like to learn more about some of the books on this list? Check out this post.  And we wrote about our favorite kids’ beach reads here. And a tree focused post here.

Finally, you’ll find our full archive of book-related posts here.

UP & DOWN/OVER & UNDER Series

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt

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