* Thanks to Poolmaster, JoJo Maman Bebe, and Zoku for sending fun summery products. Even though I live in the Arizona desert (where the sun is intense and temperatures soar!), I always look forward to summer! I love the long, lazy days of swimming, reading, sleeping in, staying up late, writing, eating watermelon + cherries, […]
Gear Up For Swim Team Guide
I never thought I’d be a swim team mom. As a child, I took swim lessons from my city’s Parks & Rec department and paid a quarter to swim at the public pool near my house, but I never learned the four strokes. Nor did I know the “language” of swim – IM (Individual Medley), DQ […]
10 Tips for 1st Time Swim Team Families
Our daughters (ages 7 and 9) joined a club swim team for the first time this spring. The first few weeks were not without tears as they braved a brand new situation. Their optimism, determination, and courage has been nothing short of inspiring. I couldn’t help but cry as I watched them at their first […]
Fall Hiking Products for Families
As the weather cools, we Arizonans breathe a sigh of relief. We sit out in the garage, with a bowl of tortilla chips and medium salsa – playing with chalk and riding bikes until the orange sorbet sunset surprises us. We hold out hope that soon we will be able to pull out our boots […]
Nanny Nature
It’s harder to be a parent in the summer in Arizona. For me anyway. In the spring, fall, and winter —> I have “help” with the kids. No, I’m not talking about a nanny, an Au pair, a daycare, or even school. I’m talking about NATURE. She accompanies us all through the day, teaching my […]
hike to bridal wreath falls
3 miles there. 3 miles back. 6 miles total. We see deer (three of them!), rabbits, squirrels, multicolored lizards, spiderwebs, and a bird’s nest. When we get to the falls, there isn’t any water (but there IS plenty of shade). We munch on trail mix, Clif Bars, fruit roll-ups, and yogurt-covered raisins. Then, Tim asks, […]
How we spent our Saturday: hiking 7 falls
This photo was taken at approximately 2:15pm today – after a 6-MILE hike with the girls. Note my flushed cheeks from the warm weather (the high was 86 degrees today). We hiked up Seven Falls in Bear Canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains. And this is “real” hiking – with stream crossings, rock-hopping, and trekking […]
Nature Calls
Yesterday, we went on a 2-hour hike as a family. We crunched leaves, skipped rocks over a creek, listened to the wind whisper through the trees, touched tree bark, and marveled at the majesty of Nature. As we wandered up-and-over, around-and-across, I thought to myself, “THIS is what childhood should be. This discovery, this simplicity, […]
