the kid project 
We’ve just recently been introduced to DucksDay kid’s clothing products. Our two-year-old is pictured here in the kid’s mitten and DucksDay snow/rain/wind suit (review coming soon). And we are pretty stoked about these products! As an outdoor blogger, I get a LOT of questions about how to keep kids warm, and “are there any mitten…
We love our Striders and they go everywhere with us. They are marketed as a “No Pedal Balance Bike” teaching kids to balance and steer before the complicated task of pedaling. We got our first Strider for our son at about 22 months old. One plus: as they transition to pedaling, they never need training…
When I became a mom, winter brought a whole host of worries. See, babies cannot really tell you when they are cold. They are also much more difficult to keep warm when outdoors, because unlike us, they aren’t skiing or snowshoeing or burning massive amounts of energy. Here is what works for us: JJ Cole…
Footwear for kids is tricky… Do you go with a stiff sole or soft? How about traction? And if I finally settle on a pair of shoes, will I have to buy new ones in three months because they’ve already grown out of them?! We’ve put most of the major outdoor brands through the paces…
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The sun warmed my skin and the crisp breeze brought a smile to my face. Spring in Telluride. Just talking about it makes me want to go back! My [new] husband and I stumbled into some random store and low-and-behold I found the down vest I’d been looking for, waiting for in fact. Eight years…
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There are outdoor brands for every body shape, but rarely is there a brand that fits every body. When I got married, my husband was blown away by how difficult it was to shop for pants with me. I think we both dreaded it more than the dentist. And when we found something that worked,…
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Happy Earth Day everyone! In honor of our life-filled-spinning-orbe I figured I’d cover a company that cares as much about the natural products their shoes are made of, as they do how comfortable they are. They strive to use natural products like leather, rubber and Jute in the construction of their shoes. Birki’s, known by us…
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Since the moment our kids could hike on their own two feet, we’ve been searching for the right kid pack. And we’ve had mixed success. But at least I can say we’ve tried a ton of backpacks…and I now know exactly what we want in one. As part of our Backpacking Project 2013, we are…
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For years we’ve been trudging along in stiff, hard, HEAVY hiking boots. And then trail running emerged on the scene. Along with it, the shoes began to change. People needed/wanted the lightweight comfort of a running shoe but with more stability and traction. Personally, I think this might be one of the best advancements in…
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We’ve gotten a fair chance at testing out the Strom snowshoes through the last month or so…but this last week they were put through the ringer. Along with a few adventurous moms, we took our twelve kids on an introductory snowshoe / winter hike in the beautiful Wasatch Range. It was every gear tester’s dream….
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We’ve just recently been introduced to DucksDay kid’s clothing products. Our two-year-old is pictured here in the kid’s mitten and DucksDay snow/rain/wind suit (review coming soon). And we are pretty stoked about these products! As an outdoor blogger, I get a LOT of questions about how to keep kids warm, and “are there any mitten…
Continue Reading →
Is a water bottle just a water bottle? Should it be? I’ve never thought about it all that much till I stumbled across my first Hydroflask at Outdoor Retailer. It is my first multi-tasking tumbler. Well sort of… But I’ll get to that in a minute. What is a Hydroflask? Ready for this mouth full?…
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My experience of snowshoeing is limited and…old school. The snowshoes I frequented most often before a month ago were at least 10-12 years old. And for quite a while now I’ve thought, “A snowshoe is a snowshoe. How can they improve on the design?” But Tubbs has worked for over 100 years to make walking on…
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What is an Edgie Wedgie and what does it do? The “Edgie” as I call it, is simply a rubber tube with clips on each end that keep your child’s ski tips together. The reason? Keeping the ski tips together aids in teaching a wedge, essential in stopping. A secondary use is for those young…
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Better late than never, right? Well, that is my theory for this post. A week and a half ago we scavenged the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City. What was so fun this trip was that I got to try out a bunch of gear, that ended up being awesome. (Yes, we’ve tried…
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Each kid is different. Hense each skier is different and what works with one, might not with another. Well, today we are talking all about using a ski harness when skiing with your little ones. If you’d like to see a previous review of the Lucky Bum ski harness, you can find it here: Ski…
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There isn’t a parent out there that doesn’t worry about their kids. Kid safety is something we all toss around inside our heads, but often do nothing about. Recently my husband received a RoadID Slim wrist bracelet for running. You know…running lots of miles in the early morning darkness? What if you keel over on…
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For years now I have been a big believer in investing in more expensive, high quality kid’s shoes for outdoor activities. If you wonder why, you can visit my post here: Why Investing in Your Kid’s Shoes is Important! But in the next breath, I have been caught (more than once) saying the same was not…
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Every once in awhile we have some great idea, an invention so to speak… We share the idea with all our friends. Sometimes jokingly. Sometimes seriously. Like last weekend… we went skiing and my son wore this shirt: It is a cheap Old Navy shirt we got on clearance, nothing special. But when he spilled…
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Giddy. Excited. Inspired. Motivated. All might be feelings after plunking down several months of hard-earned cash (or credit, but hopefully not) on a piece of life-capturing electronic gadgetry. Your first (or second, or third, …) SLR camera. It is a sight to behold, or should at least help you capture some. In the box you find…
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You already know what we think of Chacos. We made their factory in Paonia, CO part of our honeymoon tour…and our friends long ago gave up on us “shutting-up” about their shoes when they showed up in Tevas. Z1, Z2, Hipthong. They rock. I’ve even moved into the more controversial shoes (not sandals) and have…
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Hi everyone! Expect[ing] to Thrive has had an awesome week, two weeks really and today I get to introduce to you our go-to piece of baby gear. If you know us, well…you’ve heard our spiel. If not, then know this: If there was only one piece of baby gear I could recommend, it would be…
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Do you have a case of the Mondays? Even though we had a long-ish weekend, it still went too fast. But we have an action packed day around here for you! We have a winner from our first giveaway, another giveaway starting today AND an awesome park/anywhere workout that will bless your socks off. Or…
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Oh, the clothing I WISH I had had during my pregnancy and nursing days… I am about to share a hilarious photo with you. Hilarious in the I-don’t-want-any-one-to-see-this type of way. But I love you guys, so I will… I am 8 months pregnant, attempting to snowshoe in Winter Park, CO and it is a…
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It is a little easy at Outdoor Retailer to get the glassy eyed, overwhelmed sort of look and go into autopilot. So much great outdoor great, flying at you from every angle. But as I was chasing my little ones around, something green caught my eye: The Edelrid Fraggle Kids Climbing Harness. Why? Other than…
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This was our first trip to the Outdoor Retailer Show. A little overwhelming for us newbies and inspiring all at the same time! But one of the things I (and most my fellow bloggers) want to do is share the outdoor gear we are most excited about. Here is what caught the Kid Project’s eye:…
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So, this isn’t really an “outdoors with kids” topic, but rather a, “I’m a dad that likes to be outdoors with kids and wear clothes while doing so” topic. I don’t know about you [or your husband], but finding shirts that don’t suck is a challenge. Old Navy sells crap shirts that don’t fit and…
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Something about me: I hate sunscreen. I hate bug spray. Hate. But of course I hate sunburns and skin cancer and bug bites too. And all of the above is a natural evil when one is accustomed to being outdoors SO much. And not just a nuisance, as recent history has shown, bug bites can…
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OK, it is spring! While the breeze is still chilly, the sun is warm. And kids are swarming the neighborhood on nearly every imaginable thing with wheels. And we are joining in on the fun. So, I thought, “Why don’t we pump out some biking posts?” Since we are all in the mood… We LOVE…
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OK Moms, this one is for you. And for me. And maybe any husband who needs gift ideas . But really, with spring making its entrance, REI dividends coming out, and warm weather fever in the air – we all want a few new things to get us going. Mommy-wear is hard to find. Correction. Cute and…
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I don’t really know how to start this review because it is SO subjective, and I really have no proof. So instead I’ll tell you the story of how I stumbled upon the Amber Artisans and their teething necklaces for baby. At the beginning of January another attack of the teething monster erupted in the…
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Here is the truth: My chalk bag is cooler than your chalk bag! OK, that isn’t exactly correct. My kids chalk bags are cooler than your kids chalk bags. But not for long. I want to introduce you to Practical Climbing today. Why? Because I am always looking for a chalk bag that isn’t like every…
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In case you are just joining us, this is the third post in a series all about newborns! We’ve already addressed those hard and sleepless first weeks. Today, well…this one is for the ladies. We are addressing the awkward subject of breast feeding. So unless you are supremely interested… When they first brought my baby…
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So, I [Chris] recently had a dilemma. My sunglasses went missing. First, let me explain my sunglasses history, as sometimes context and history proves everything. After all, if someone says, “They are the best sunglasses I’ve ever owned” and they are the only sunglasses ever owned by said person, the statement can be generally discarded….
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Oh Edgie Wedgie. The name reminds me of pre-pubecent torture. But none-the-less, one of the most used toddler ski aids is named this. It is simply a rubber tube with clips on each end that keep your child’s ski tips together. The reason? To aid teaching them to wedge or for the really young ones…
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Let me just say this: around 28 years of skiing under my belt and two parents that have taught skiing for longer than that – and I was still not prepared for how difficult it was going to be to teach my kids how to ski. Frustrating at times, exhausting, hot [cause your doing most…
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When I became a mom, winter brought a whole host of worries. See, babies cannot really tell you when they are cold. They are also much more difficult to keep warm when outdoors, because unlike us, they aren’t skiing or snowshoeing or burning massive amounts of energy. Here is what works for us: JJ Cole…
Continue Reading →
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…
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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…
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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…
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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….
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We told our daughter that if she made it to the top of the wall, we’d get her climbing shoes. And so, we very quickly found ourselves trying on shoes. “Are they comfortable?” “Oh Mom, these ones are really great, they look so cute on me,” she responds. She is such a girl… To say…
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We’ve gotten a lot of questions regarding kids climbing harnesses. There are two harnesses I would suggest- though I am certain there are many others that are great. Please leave your comments if you’ve found other great ones. These are the ones we have experience with: 1. Petzl Simba Full Body Harness We love this…
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Mixed bag… Product features: Zippered main compartment, zippered small front pocket, mesh pocket interior for 1 liter hydration reservoir, mesh side pockets, reflective piping and 1 liter hydration reservoir with bite valve. We got one of these for my daughter’s birthday and overall I have mixed feelings about it. It is great for hiking, with…
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Product Features: Removable diaper pad 2 Water bottle holders Insulated bottle holders Internal organization Internal waterproof pocket Floral fabric interior Nylon fabric Top zipper for easy access to internal compartment 7 x 13 x 18 inches I received this diaper bag with our third child and it is versatile, easy to organize, and fits a…
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It sounds like a gimmick right? Some stupid rubber bracelet that you strap on your kid and when you get home he’s covered in bug bites. I was pleasantly surprised by the effectiveness and scent of this product. At one point the mosquitoes were swarming around my son’s head like he’d been dropped in a…
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Fleece is everywhere. From cheap fleece pajamas from Target to Performance Fleece from Old Navy to higher priced fleece from say North Face, REI, or Patagonia. But are they equal? Will cheap do just as good as the most expensive versions? Fleece is my fabric of choice for layering my kids at night camping. Also…
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We encountered a new kind of mutant mosquito this weekend. The kind that can sniff out the one square inch of skin that doesn’t have repellent on it, and bite… Maybe you’ve met them before. They bit through clothing. They flew up pant legs. But most of all they like to bite your scalp and…
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For those serious hikers out there who love to bring their kiddos along, this backpack is perfect for you. There are a lot of backpacks out there to choose from and it can be overwhelming trying to find one that works best. We tried going cheap and used hand-me-down packs that squeaked with every step and sent us…
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We love our Striders and they go everywhere with us. They are marketed as a “No Pedal Balance Bike” teaching kids to balance and steer before the complicated task of pedaling. We got our first Strider for our son at about 22 months old. One plus: as they transition to pedaling, they never need training…
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We have three kids. But the number of kid transportation devices we have is simply ridiculous. We have had: an umbrella stroller, a single jogger and a double jogger, a double sit/stand stroller, two bike trailers, a co-pilot bike seat (kind that mounts behind), a Bjorn, a REI framed kid backpack complete with Camelbak pouch…
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