“I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.”
– The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Celebrating #DrSeussDay with a picture of Boston’s Public Garden from the last time we were there. Be kind to nature so our future generations can continue to enjoy the beauty!
Skiing. Something I always wanted to do — tried once many moons ago at a local (tiny) hill here in suburban Chicago when I was 16 — quite unsuccessfully as I didn’t learn to stop & ran into a bright orange fence. Was a bit intimidated by it after that, but flash forward to age 40 and I was back on the slopes — having properly learned to stop this time around — and oh, how I’m kicking myself that I hadn’t tried again sooner!
I’ve never been much of a sportsperson. I don’t have an overly competitive personality, summer sports are off the table since I turn into a lobster after 10 minutes (even lathered in sunscreen) and, well, to be honest…I kind of hate to sweat.
Winter sports, though…the perfect match-up for me! You’re outside, the snow landscapes are pretty, you’re wearing layers, it’s nice and cold — and even though some sweating can occur, it’s a totally different ballgame when you have that awesome chill factor to cool you down.
This was the fourth year in a row that we’ve been skiing with our daughter. She’s seven now, and with how much she loves it and how gutsy she is on the slopes, she’ll soon hit runs that I’m not quite ready for myself, though I’ll definitely try my best to keep up with her growing skills.
We put her in ski lessons when she was three (same hill I attempted in 1988 at age 16…and yes, the dreaded orange fence is still there and I’m certain it was mocking me as I walked by). Four Sundays in a row we watched her learn how to “pizza” and “french-fry” — new terms for us as we were still using the antiquated term, “snowplough.” The lessons gave her a great foundation for our first time at a larger hill – this time up in Wisconsin. Mr. The Inspired Parent is an excellent skier so he gave me a crash course in stopping and I mastered the bunny slopes for a bit before we all hit the bigger runs. So much fun! I finally found my sport!
Ever since that day four years ago, I’ve been looking forward to winter even more than normal because it’s SKI TIME!!! I’m planning to review some of the places we’ve skied in future posts, but for now I’ll give you our list of reasons you should totally hit the slopes with your kids. Even if you’ve never gone before — you won’t regret it! There’s still plenty of time for some wonderful spring skiing and you can find some great deals in Colorado and other prime ski areas this time of year!
10. Skiing is a great skill they can carry into adulthood. Definitely get the first-timers in a group or private lesson the first time out — it makes all the difference — but those lessons can start quite early. It’s very common to see three-year-olds out there on the slopes and those little kids sure pick it up quickly. How cool is it that your now-3-year-old can possibly still enjoy skiing when they’re 70 or older?
9. Skiing promotes fun, family bonding. Whether it’s helping the little ones on their first beginner hills or having some one-on-one ski lift chats with your surly teenagers, or enjoying the atmosphere of hanging out at the ski lodge after a day on the slopes, it is such a wonderful experience for everyone! Make those memories!
8. Skiing is great for (almost) all ages & levels. There are almost no limitations when it comes to skiing — practically anyone of any age can do it & there are even plenty of Adaptive Alpine Skiing options for those with disabilities. Throw in the fact that such a wide-range of ages can enjoy this sport and it’s a win-win for family fun!
7. Skiing is a wonderful outing for family/friend gatherings. Looking for your next extended-family reunion? Look into a ski trip! Popular resort areas typically have condominiums for rent which are perfect for larger groups — more space to spread out after a day on the slopes compared with a basic hotel room. Another option is renting a house near the ski area of your choice. Splitting the rental costs with another family or two is a great way to save on lodging and have a spacious place to hang out during your trip. Add in all the ski excitement that everyone will have & what a FUN vacation! For the non-skiers in your group — most ski resorts & ski towns have plenty of cool things to do even if you’re not hitting the slopes. A little bit of something for everyone!
6. Skiing is great for core strength & balance & your mental health. Skiing is a full-body workout – with regular skiing you will most definitely increase your core strength and balance. For kids (and adults) this added strength is great for all sorts of other sports they may enjoy. Add in the fact that it’s a winter sport, it keeps everyone active at a time of year when many people are sedentary. Another plus is that skiing is great for your mental well-being on several different levels. The combination of fresh, outdoor air + the mental stimulation of handling the balance and coordination required by skiing and there are a lot of benefits. Check out this wonderful article from The University of New Hampshire regarding The Benefits of Skiing.
5. Ski slopes are pretty. Everyone’s taste is different when it comes to natural beauty, but ski areas are generally quite beautiful…the trees, fluffy white snow on gorgeous mountains…breathtaking! Our daughter adores going on the ski lifts since she can “see everything that is beautiful and it’s so relaxing.” Enough said.
4. Skiing is a family tradition that can be passed on through the generations. My father-in-law was a skier. He passed in 2004, four years before our daughter was born. We see a lot of him in her — their interests and personalities are similar in so many ways, even though she never met him in person. Skiing was something he adored and we know he would be thrilled that we’re passing on this love of hitting the slopes so she can carry on that tradition. We’ll do our best to go at least once a year (hopefully more) every year with her…she took to skiing so easily and loves it. We’re sure that his DNA ski-gene is at play. 😉
3. Ski (& snowboard) kids are nice! We’ve encountered a ton of kids on the slopes over these last several years. There’s something about the kids who ski & snowboard — they all seem really, really nice. I’m sure there are exceptions, but as cheesy as it sounds, it’s honestly what we’ve noticed & commented on every single time we’ve gone skiing. There’s a level of respect that seems to go hand-in-hand with the sport. Even the groups of tweens & teens who are hanging out together (without their parents) on the slopes have been a joy to be around & I love that our daughter looks up to these bigger, polite, respectful kids. It makes skiing that much more enjoyable.
2. Skiing is a major confidence booster. Our daughter was a very hesitant toddler – didn’t want to climb on things or go on the bigger slides or try anything she felt was “scary.” We put her in gymnastics/tumbling when she was three to help her get over her fears (we were starting to worry that she’d get hurt on the playground playing with the bigger kids since she was so hesitant about every little thing). That helped her a bit, but WOW did skiing make all the difference. Our hesitant little kid, for whatever reason, is not hesitant at all when it comes to skiing. The faster and steeper the hill, the more she shouts “woo-hoooooo!!!!!!!!!” Seeing her try something challenging and the confidence she gets from it is amazing. She is so proud after we’ve been skiing – she even keeps her lift ticket attached to her coat for a while after each ski outing so when people ask about it, she can tell them all about her latest ski adventures. I love that after four seasons of skiing, it still has this noticeable confidence-boosting affect on her.
1. Witnessing their sheer glee and joy and hearing “woo-hoooo!!!!” when they throw their arms in the air at the bottom of a stellar ski run…priceless!
We’ve tried so many different types of peanut butter cookies over the years & they are often sub-par…either too sweet or too greasy/oily, with very little peanut flavor. We have found one recipe that has consistently beat out all the rest. These peanut butter cookies are somewhere between chewy & cake-like…they have a slight crisp around the edges and are wonderfully puffy in the center. Using chunky-style peanut butter in combination with the extra addition of crushed peanuts gives a peanut flavor above all others we’ve tried.
This amazing recipe, adapted from our well-worn, 2004 copy of Baking Illustrated by the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated Magazine, is by far our absolute favorite. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:7]
We ordered a mini-trampoline last year so our little one could burn some energy while stuck in the house during winter. She’s been using it everyday — and as much fun as she has with it, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I love using it, too.
As great as walking is, it wasn’t keeping my metabolism as in-check as it should. Using our new trampoline — or “rebounder” as it seems to be called these days — seems to be doing the trick!
I started slowly to get my bearings – maybe 5 minutes at a time, a few times a day, for the first few days. I quickly bumped it up to 10-15 minutes at a time and now, about 15 months later, it’s a breeze to jog & jump on the trampoline for 30-45 minutes or so in one session.
When we first bought the trampoline I looked online to get some ideas about rebounding “moves” to change things up a bit and discovered that rebounding is also great for your lymphatic system. I had no idea! So it seems that our lymphatic system needs help to get things moving to rid your body of stagnant, environmental toxins that have been absorbed, and the up-and-down motion from bouncing on the trampoline does just that. Throw in the immune system support you get when your lymphatic system is functioning properly, and dedicating 15-20 minutes to rebounding a couple of times each day (or more!) is a quick & fun way to kick it in gear.
Rebounding is also supposed to be great for building bone mass due to the G-force effects, but safer than going for a run on a treadmill or around the neighborhood since it isn’t as hard of an impact on your joints. Some studies show that approximately 20 minutes of rebounding equals 60 minutes of running on a treadmill.
I’ve been rebounding nearly every day for the last year & the list of things I wrote about last year after the first month of use are still accurate for me::
1. I’m sleeping better at night — this is a huge plus since I’m normally a light sleeper and wake up a LOT.
2. I have more energy during the day and I’m feeling less sluggish. Plus I love the endorphin rush after hopping around for a few minutes. It truly is a great stress reliever!
3. Last year I noticed a difference after week #2 — my legs were definitely looking more toned-up. That has gotten even better over the last 11 months.
4. I dropped a little more than 8 lbs. in the first month of jumping. This one surprised me quite a bit since I didn’t feel like I was pushing any grand limits or being extreme with my bounce time. Since that first month and as I’ve increased my time each day, I’m down an additional 20 lbs. & I’m feeling great!
I’ve never had a formal rebounding routine that I have followed – I just kind of went with the flow depending on my mood, but there are a few moves that I do at least once a day at some point:
Heel raises – While lightly bouncing, keep my toes on the trampoline, raising my heels – I’m up to 3 sets of 100 each day. My calves burn, but it’s that good burn & something that only takes a few moments to do.
The twist – Working on trimming that waistline while bouncing.
Alternating knee to the chest – This one was another pleasant surprise – it gets my heart rate up fairly quickly & actually works your core pretty well. I wasn’t expecting waking up with sore abs after starting this particular move. This one is staying in the rotation since it is way more fun that traditional sit-ups. I typically do 20-30 with one leg before switching sides.
Jumping jacks – Easy peasy!
Heel to the rear – Kind of a classic move from aerobics classes – also more fun on the trampoline & it’s a nice move to tone the hamstrings. Add in some arm movements and the heart rate boosts up more as well.
Jogging in place – This is one that I find quite fun & now that I’m able to bounce or “jog” for 30-45 minutes at a time, I use my trampoline time to catch up on whatever series we’re currently streaming on Netflix or Hulu. A lot of the shows are about 42 minutes long, so the timing is decent for a nice “run.”
Tip: I wear gym shoes while working on my mini-trampoline. Some people seem to prefer going barefoot, but my personal preference is to rebound while wearing shoes since I feel more stable that way.
I found the Stamina 38-inch Intone Plus Rebounder on sale at Amazon (spent about $40 instead of $80). So far it’s working well, though I’m curious as to how long it will hold up (with this update nearly 16 months after we started, we’re still using the same one & with daily use it’s holding up just fine for us). We do have to tighten the legs by hand before each use. If I had known that I would be using it regularly –instead of just having our 7-year-old use it — we may have looked for a sturdier model, but for now, this one is still working well.
Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor & you must check with your personal physician before starting any sort of exercise. The information above is based on my personal experience. I’ve found lots of great articles and supporting studies regarding the benefits of rebounding. A couple of my favorites can be found here, here and here.
I’ve also pinned some great rebounding workout ideas on Pinterest – they’re on my Inspired Health & Fitness board if you’d like to check them out! I’ll report some updates down the road as my Adventures with the Mini-Trampoline continues.
Happy bouncing!
Article Updated in May 2017 now that I’ve been using the trampoline for over a year. 🙂