Many of us have kids that are just starting to learn to ski this season. And while learning to ski is full of all sorts of challenges, none more so than transportation back UP the hill with our kids. Lifts and rope tows are equally challenging. Magic carpets are perhaps the most user-friendly. But if…

This post sort of has to do with keeping warm, sort of. [And I know I promised a weeks worth of “staying warm” posts.] But lets face it- this is more than a gear review…cause there is only so much you can review about a hat. Either it fits, or not.  Either it itched, or…

This week has been cold!  And in honor of the season we are posting a weeks worth of reviews, tips, and info on keeping the kids and babies warm! I grew up skiing. I would venture on saying it was a family religion. And because of it, winter was always my favorite season…until I had…

We’ve made the short trek up to Alta the last couple weekends to take the kids skiing. It has been a blast and there were lots of other parents joining us on the endeavor with their kids. All ages, all sizes. Some parents cheered us on, mentioning how they didn’t start their kids till they…

And the winner is comment #3: Amanda Kelly! You will be contacted shortly. Congrats from our house to yours! -the Ericksons  

Call it a small pet peeve, call it a large one. Probably a large one…here it is: I hate it when people are fake. Similarly, I hate the thought of presenting an image that is incomplete or misleading. And here is the thing. In this place called the Internet we can manufacture an appearance. We…

Remember the Seven Sling Giveaway comes to an end tomorrow at 12pm.  Pass it on to your pregnant friends! Have a great day! -the Ericksons

We went up to Alta Ski Resort this morning. And this time our 5 year old asked politely, “Can you please not forget my boots this time?” Check. Boots in the car. In fact, the only thing I forgot was my sunglasses. But that seemed minor in comparison to last time. The best part of…

A few things about us: 1. we aren’t a stroller family 2. we are habitual “baby-wearers” when the kids are young but 3. I am a sceptic when it comes to baby slings. I learned this week, though, that the Seven Sling has a place in my baby gear repertoire! (FYI, my youngest child is…

I snapped this shot as the sun emerged over the horizon, on our 14 hour road trip to Oregon.  We’d been on the road for 3 hours, survived black ice (and I do mean survived), beat out a snow storm, and fought the nausea that accompanies early morning hunger. Overall our trip went smooth. I…

Seven years ago, almost to the day, Chris whisked (or rather dragged) me under a thundering, wet, magnificent water fall and asked me to marry him.  I don’t remember much of what he said.  In fact I could barely hear him over the roar.  But I’ve never forgotten the waterfalls.  So naturally every time we…

And the winner is: Nancy Henry From our house to yours: Congrats!  (Comment entrant were assigned a number based on the order in which they commented.  Then using a random number generator we found our winner: Comment #2) Thanks to all who got involved! the Ericksons

Here is a little secret…as parents, we have made probably half of the mistakes in the book, and the other half we’ll probably encounter in the next 18 years. I am not trying to berate us, but here is something I learned quickly about kids: there is a lot of grey, and not a lot…

In honor of black friday… Lets face it, while the outdoors are generally free- the gear needed to enjoy them is not.  In fact it can be quite pricey.  And as we’ve added kids into the mix, we have added a whole new level of cost to our adventures.  Kids can be hard to gear…

Enjoying it here in Oregon! Reminder: the Momentum Indoor Climbing giveaway is winding down.  Don’t forget to enter the raffle! There is a link to the post on the sidebar. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! – the Ericksons

Christmas comes every year and grandparents start asking what to give the kids, and I start wondering what to do after I’ve given them all my ideas.  This year I made a list of useful things – not to expensive – that the kids would love but also satisfy some need in their outdoor gear….

Labor Day weekend. 5 minutes prior we pulled into the parking lot at the ‘Bread Loaves’ area in City of Rocks National Reserve.  The kids were running everywhere, climbing the rocks, throwing the rocks, and generally gleeful to be out of the car. The moms and I made a collective sigh and huddled up to…

I loving asking my friends this question: What are your favorite outdoor baby items?  “Why” you ask? Because even after 3 kids I still learn of new things I’ve never even heard of before.  Like the Bug Band.  This last summer a good friend of mine wrote a review on them.  I had never even…

How often do you spend all week coming up with an outdoor adventure plan, spend Friday night packing for it, and spend Saturday morning urging your not-so-excited kid out the door? They are reluctant. They want to watch Saturday morning cartoons. If your family was a ship- they aren’t on board. I know this kid…cause…

We moved to Utah nearly a year ago- waltzed into Momentum, cause we didn’t know where else to climb, and said, “Where do you sign us up?” Climbing for us is an outlet, a must have family bonding item. So naturally when we moved it was near the top of the list- right after the…