Recently I have been seeing a lot of blog posts out there about the importance of close knit girlfriend groups. These are the same group of women who do everything together. They have their girls weekends, celebrations for all occasions and are there for the good and bad in each other’s lives. They are friends for life. As I have read several of these posts, I find I do not fit into these “groups.” Does that mean I am doing something wrong in my friendships?
Living in New Hampshire we usually have a good three to four months of snow and colder weather. For those winter lovers a fresh snow means endless outdoor possibilities.
I have many outdoor winter sports that I love, but there is something about snowshoeing through a fresh powder that is not only a good workout, but relaxing.
In 2020 I was looking for a different outdoor challenge for my daughter and I. I came across the 1000 Hours Outside and thought it was perfect for us. I knew we spent a lot of time outside, but I was curious to see how much.
Every year I like to take on a new outdoor challenge. When thinking about what I want to do for 2021 I was having difficulty coming up with something different to do. So I decided to create my own challenge. If there is one thing that 2020 has taught my family and I is that we live in a great state that has many wonderful places to visit and explore. We have been able to visit some pretty amazing places in New Hampshire this year. My thought was to create a challenge that helps people explore and get to know The Granite State.
Every year I like to do an outdoor challenge this helps me stay accountable for the year and also helps me find new places to explore. The last two years I had done the 365 Mile Challenge and both times finished on or right before New Years Eve. This year i was looking for something different. I had started on the 1000 Outside Hours and Views and Brews Challenge. I felt this was enough and something different for me to do.
On our summer vacation we did not have a lot planned. We camped for a couple days, but nothing else was planned. My daughter really wanted to go to Whales Tale Waterpark which is one of our favorite waterparks. My husband wanted to spend one more night away so we started looking for hotels in the Lincoln area. We searched and searched and had difficulty finding one that we could agree on. After numerous Google searches I stubbled across Waterville Valley. I have only been there once many years ago to hike the Cascade Waterfall Trail. Since we have not spent much time in that area I decided that was where we would spend the night.
The Katahdin Region nestle in the middle of Maine will always be near and dear to my heart as it is where I grew up and learned how to love the great outdoors. When I was not exploring the woods around the Allagash Wilderness Waterway I was exploring the woods around the Katahdin Region with my parents or friends. I was fortunate that many friends were willing to explore with me. When people think of this area they usually think of Mt. Katahdin. I am going to share my favorite places to visit that are not hiking the mountain. While the mountain is beautiful I hike, I have some other favorites in the area. Below are my top five
I am always curious what people carry in their packs during the different seasons we have in New England. This past winter I wrote a blog post, What’s in My Pack: Winter Addition. I thought I would follow it up with a summer addition.
It’s school vacation week in New Hampshire and we like to take a couple days to explore somewhere around New England. Growing up I spent every summer visiting friends in the Lakes Region, but since our friend’s moved away we do not visit as much. When we were researching places to go we decided to head to the Lakes Region in hopes of spending time at Gunstock, cross country skiing, tubing and riding mountain coaster.
I have debated on writing this post. After thinking about it I feel it is important to get out there the importance of good trail etiquette based on my own experiences. There are the common trail etiquette guidelines to follow such as if you are descending step off the trail and let those coming up come by. If you need to use the bathroom step way off into the woods. Do not mess with cairns. Be friendly to other hikers and keep your cell phone on silent. While hiking this past summer we encountered some behaviors on the trail that did not set well with me.
I am always curious about what people carry in their packs. I love looking for new ideas of outdoor necessities or what hikers carry for fun. Over the years I have worked hard at researching and finding the right gear. Ok, maybe I should be honest. I tell my husband what I want and he does all the research to make sure I am getting a good product. That is what makes us a good team. We are by no means survival experts, but enjoy looking for gear that works well and supports us if needed. Living in New Hampshire we have a variety of weather, being prepared in the winter months is very important. Below are the items that you will find in my pack during the winter months.
My husband gets frustrated with me around holidays where gift giving involved. He really likes to get me material objects where I prefer experiences. Every time one of these holidays come around there is always an argument around what I want and me saying nothing, then him feeling that I am setting him up for trouble when the days arrives. As i am writing this my husband is sitting next me to shaking his head in agreement.
This Christmas was a little different. We had some big purchases made and decided to only purchase a few things for reach other. We did not really mention what we wanted, just hoped after almost 17 years together we are able to buy gifts each one of us enjoys.
2019 is coming up fast and a lot of people are thinking about their new years resolutions and goals for the upcoming year. Two years ago I changed my frame of mind around resolutions. There are always the same ones like, save more money, loose x amount of weight, go to the gym so many days a week, etc. There is nothing wrong with these resolutions, but I wanted something different.
It is Christmas time which means we are looking for that perfect gift. The gift that won’t break a few hours after playing with it or won’t be thrown in the corner a couple days after Christmas. I am getting to the point that when I look for gifts for my daughter I want to try to make sure it is something that she will truly enjoy or use. Below are some of my daughter and my favorite kids gifts.
Lately I have been receiving many messages from friends asking about winter gear for their children. I am honored that they trust my opinion. I thought I would share the items that are must haves for my daughter in the winter.
Base layer: A good base layer is important for the colder days. Wearing a good base layer under your children clothes helps them stay warm. My daughter loves the ones that are fleece lined. Make sure they do not have cotton in them as cotton retains sweat.
Winter Jacket: I know this is an obvious one, but with the amount of time we spend outside I do not skimp on a winter jacket. Every year around Veterans Day we hit up the local Columbia Outlets for their sale and to get our winter jackets. Columbia Jackets have never disappointment us. Many of them are water resistant. They provide a lot of warmth, are not too bulky and the zipper works well and has not broken on us yet.
Snow Pants: Just like the jacket we also get our snow pants at Columbia Outlet and have had success over the years with them. We have tried other brands, but the zipper always break or holes are worn in the knees. My daughter prefers the bib kind so snow does not get in them.
Socks: Darn Tough Socks have been the only ones that keep my daughters feet warm and dry during the cold winter days. They are also tough and last as long as your child does not grow out of them will last I know they are pricy, but if you get a hole in them, Darn Tough will replace them for free.
Boots: We have tried a variety of winter boots, but have found that Boggs are the only ones that are easy to get on, keep her feet dry and warm and keep up with her busy outdoor schedule. She has never worn through the boots, only worn the pattern of of them.
Hats and Mittens: We do not really have a favorite hat and mittens. My daughter likes a variety of hats. We have found that water resistant mittens are the best and her hands do not always stay warm in gloves. I recommend your child try out a variety of them to find what works best for them. Consignment shops or online facebook pages can be a great place to get them without spending a lot of money.
Some form of microspikes/crampons/stabilicers: The last couple winters have been very icy making it difficult for little legs to hike or just be outside. We have found that some form of extra traction on the bottom of the boots. This year we will be looking for better ones. Once I find a good pair for her I will share them. If you have any ones you love, please let me know. I will say that I have had members in my hiking group use Yak Tacs and they have not been good for the ice around Southern NH New Hampshire.
Snow Markers: These are more for fun. My daughter has spent hours using these in the snow. Once you run out of the dye you can just use water and food coloring and keep the containers.
If you are looking for some additional ideas you can check our my Blog Post on the my Top Outdoor Gifts for Kids.
If you are looking for some Winter Activity suggestions check out my Winter Fun page on my website.
This post contains affiliate links for which I may receive a small amount of compensation at no cost to you.
For the last couple of years my daughter and I have been trying to finish the Fire Tower Challenge where you visit 5 out of the 16 fire towers in New Hampshire. We will do two then lose motivation or get side tracked and not finish. Well this fall I was determined to finish the challenge. Below are the fire towers that we visited.
I know it is September and we are winding down on Waterpark Season, but we are lucky in New England to have an array of waterparks to visit. Even though we have some cold months we can visit indoor water parks. I have not visited all of the water parks in New England, but I have visited many of them. Below I will highlight the ones we have visited in no particular order.
