Hiking is one of my family’s favorite fall activities. The cool, crisp air, colorful leaves and the quiet calm that come with fall beckon us for hiking. Whether your family spends a lot of time hiking or you are just starting out, one of the best ways to ensure that your hiking trips are fun for everyone is by finding unique ways to experience them together. By adding a new perspective to your family’s hikes, you engage your children to the point where hiking will become one of their favorite activities too. And not only will you be spending time together as a family and getting some exercise, you can also incorporate learning and surprises along the way. Jump over to Inhabitots to learn my 7 unique ways that my family enjoys fall hikes together and give one a of them a try this fall with your own family.
Can you believe that Halloween is next week? I feel like October is just zipping by! And for the past week, the conversation at our house has been non-stop Halloween. Same for you? Over the weekend we finally decided on Halloween costumes! Eben is dressing up like Finn from Adventure Time – which just makes me giggle. He always has great ideas for his Halloween costumes! Remember when he was a Jedi Knight, Ash Ketchum, The Angel of Migraines, and a Pirate! All costumes made from things we already had or picked up at the thrift store!
This year, Mr. Sweet Greens and I are going to dress up as a Dia De Los Muertos couple. Remember when we dressed up as Obi Wan Kenobi and Padme from Star Wars and the VooDoo Couple. Our goal is to use items from our own closets – and anything else, we will find at the thrift store. I am hoping to set some time aside today to work on putting the costumes together. I can’t wait to share the photos! Also, I have been getting daily costume makeup inspiration on Pinterest! It’s my go-to place for Halloween inspiration.
Have you decided on Halloween costumes yet? Are you making a costume from things you find around the house?
Whenever we take a family hike, walk or stroll on the beach we stop to make art along the way. After collecting colorful leaves on a recent hike, we arranged them on fallen tree, sorting them by color. Another time, we stopped to stack stones into large towers. Then, one time we used sticks and seashells at the beach to make a swirly masterpiece. If I have my camera or my iPhone I will snap a quick shot, then we leave the art to surprise the next person who comes along our path. Has your family ever made surprise outdoor art masterpieces?
This morning, Mr. Sweet Greens and I sat down for a cup of coffee together. It felt like a long time since we have had a chance to just sit together quietly. It was nice. We talked about what organic meals we want to plan for the rest of October. We decided to start looking for a CSA to join, since we have been using more and more vegetables in our cooking. After a little research we found Kai Kai Farm and Grove owned by Diane and Carl Cordeau who have grown vegetables and strawberries without pesticides and mineral fertilizers since 2008. And the best part – they are just down the street from us!
We have been a member of a CSA before in Colorado and learned that for a family of three a smaller share is exactly what we need. Since Kai Kai Farm and Grove’s CSA offers both a weekly ($440/annual) and bi-weekly ($280/annual) memberships, we plan to opt for the bi-weekly. The membership includes a great diversity of high quality produce grown from October – May. Each share typically includes; lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, beans, peas, onions, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, cucumbers, squashes, strawberries, and herbs. All of which we use on a weekly basis – so this should be a perfect.
I called Kai Kai Farm and Grove this morning and spoke with Carl and I was super impressed! He was very friendly and helpful and answered all of my questions. He was also very accommendating, saying that we could visit the farm anytime – just to call ahead. He also mentioned that we can tell them exactly what we would like to receive and what items we don’t want – so we can get exactly what we can use! Eben and I plan to visit the farm this afternoon, I will share what I find out!
Are you a member of a CSA? What are your thoughts? Do you find that you are able to use everything that you receive each week?
Now that the weather is cooling off and winter is right around the corner, it’s a great time to focus on ways to add more physical activity to your child’s daily routine. Especially considering many children can easily become coach potatoes once the cooler months take hold, sending them into a hibernation of sorts.
The easiest way to ensure that your child is getting enough exercise every day is to incorporate it into their normal routine. These 8 suggestions that I offer are simple to do, and in most cases, your child won’t even realize they are exercising — they’ll just think they’re having fun! Jump over to Inhabitots to get started.
