One of the things every parent dreads hearing on a hike is to have one of their adorable children announce, “Mommy, I need to poop!” It's especially inconvenient when it’s mid-hike, in the middle of the woods and with the nearest restroom a half mile or more out. That’s when this mama loses her crazy. It’s a natural bodily function, but still not a welcomed inc...
“Tick season is finally over, right?” Well … not quite. Technically, every season is “tick season.” Contrary to popular belief, ticks don't just disappear in the colder months. Some tick species are simply less active. Take year-round precautions to prevent tick bites and the diseases that can come with them.
Ticks in the Winter?!
Yes, unfortunately. According to the TickEncounter Resource Ce...
For our first Hike it Baby 30 Challenge, we started with a "no zero days" goal. At the time, the baby was 10 weeks old. And it rained. It rained a lot. My then 5-year-old was going crazy from the lowered activity level due to me recovering from pregnancy and birth so it was definitely time to get on the trails again.
During the previous year, my son had attended a great preschool, and I knew h...
In this interview series, I'm going to introduce you to park rangers across the United States. Today's post features Cathy Taylor, a park ranger at Paris Mountain State Park in South Carolina.
What is your name and job title?
My name is Cathy Taylor, Interpretive Ranger at Paris Mountain State Park.
Is this the first state park you've worked at? If not, tell me what other parks/nature centers...
The winds during Hurricane Maria peeled off bark and paint, knocked over trees and power lines, and ripped off roofs and walls. Maria left behind a flooded, tangled mess. Most of Puerto Rico outside of San Juan is still without power and water.
I write this post about my new home, La Isla del Encanto, Puerto Rico, from a hotel room in Florida where my two children, two dogs and I have been eva...
Last spring, I shared a photo of Mason lying in the flowers at Rowena Crest on social media. A few hours later, someone blasted me because they felt I was irresponsible to let Mason lie on the path in a field of wildflowers. I'll admit, it was definitely not adhering to Leave No Trace ethics. Honestly, I just couldn't help but get the shot because it was so dang cute! In the image, I also share...
We just wrapped up another great Hike it Baby 30 Challenge—the third one of 2017! We’d like to thank our Hike it Baby annual sponsors for the great prizes they provided for September’s HiB30. The winning participants were entered into the prize drawings simply by signing up to achieve 30 miles in 30 days OR spend 30 minutes outside 3 times per week with their families.
Hike it Baby hosts the ...
We just wrapped up another great Hike it Baby 30 Challenge—the third one of 2017! We’d like to thank our Hike it Baby Challenge Sponsors and Prize Donors for the great prizes they provided for September's HiB30. The winning participants were entered into the prize drawings simply by signing up to achieve 30 miles in 30 days OR spend 30 minutes outside 3 times per week with their families.
Hik...
In the hunt for all things winter, I perennially spend an exorbitant amount of time looking at clothing. I obsess over details like sleeve length, jacket skirting, layering, base layering, gloves vs. mittens and how warm it all is. Luckily for me, we love wool clothing and base layers. Which means one less decision on my plate.
Some of the things that I've really come to love about wool ...
It's not a secret that kids love to dress in costume – be it a pirate, fairy, police officer, dinosaur, movie character or whatever it is they've gravitated to that day. And most of the time, they'll keep it on. ALL. DAY. LONG. The time is approaching when parents have to think about what their kids will be dressed up as this year. Below are some quick and easy DIY costume ideas – inspired by n...
