outdoors

From Hate to Love: A Running Journey in the Making

by melissa on January 31, 2012 · 20 comments

Let’s be clear right off the bat: I’ve never been a runner. I played softball and soccer when I was a kid. I never understood how the cross country kids had the endurance. And when I finished college, I started teaching a few group exercise classes at various gyms. So, other than the time we spend [...]

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Feeling Antsy for Adventure

by melissa on April 5, 2011 · 23 comments

Maybe it’s because the weather is warming up and I don’t have to stuff wiggly, octopus baby arms into a fuzzy coat anymore. Maybe it’s because I went into REI last week to spend my dividends and couldn’t help but ooh and aah over the latest backpacks, bikes and tents. Whatever the reason, ME GOTS [...]

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Friday Favorites: Photo Tips, Bullying, Activity Guide and More!

by melissa on November 12, 2010 · 4 comments

I haven’t done this in a while but I love Friday Favorites hosted by Life Without Pink. Basically, you round up five of your fave stories of the week and share the love! This week I’m going with an outdoor play theme so read on… 9 Tips for Great Outdoor Photos of Your Kids You [...]

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Big Roo’s Modern Outdoorsy Bedroom

by melissa on October 5, 2010 · 71 comments

Since Big Roo loves green and we all love the outdoors, I figured it was only logical to do an outdoor kids room for him. There was just one problem. Most outdoorsy rooms I’ve seen for kids just really didn’t suit our style. I’m not into red and brown flannel, mallard ducks and army green [...]

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Guest Post: Kids and Gardening

by melissa on July 27, 2010 · 18 comments

Tuesday’s guest blogger is Rachel from Mommy Needs a Vacation. Rachel and I “met” on Twitter. She’s always making me laugh and her blog is full of awesome! She recently received the incredible gift of her niece being born on her birthday- yay! *** I am so excited to be guest posting over here at [...]

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Guest Post: Life in a Cave

by melissa on July 26, 2010 · 16 comments

Guest blogger week kicks off with Fadra from All Things Fadra. I first met Fadra at a local blogging mom get-together we have here in Raleigh. Once I found out she was a marketer like me – AND A BLOGGER- I started talking her head off and haven’t stopped. I totally look up to this [...]

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How to Choose a Kid-Friendly Campsite

by melissa on June 3, 2010 · 6 comments

Camping season is here! Last week, I shared some tips for choosing a kid-friendly campground. But that’s only part of the camping equation. What about the actual campsite? Sometimes you choose your campsite during the reservation process based solely on a map. Other times, you get to drive through a campground and take your pick. [...]

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How to Choose a Kid-Friendly Campground

by melissa on May 24, 2010 · 20 comments

Camping season is ramping up! If you’ve got kids, choosing the primo campground could mean the difference between having a memorable trip straight out of a sappy commercial or having a trip that leaves you feeling like the Griswolds. So how do you pick the perfect campground? Let’s give it a shot… 1. Lots of [...]

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Little Roo Goes Hiking (& a Lesson Learned)

by melissa on April 16, 2010 · 10 comments

If you’ve read my slightly outdated About Me page, you’ll see that despite the big plans we had to be hiking maniacs after BIG Roo was born, we didn’t get around to his first hike until he was six months old. This time, despite the madness of having two kids, we managed Little Roo’s first [...]

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Superfabulous Simple Weekend Ahead

by melissa on April 1, 2010 · 0 comments

I’m the first to admit that I’m a cold-weather wuss. So, I’ve got no problem with it being about 15 degrees above normal this weekend! Besides watching Big Roo hunt for plastic Easter eggs filled with semi-melted candy, we have no set plans. We weren’t adventurous enough yet to travel four hours to our hometown… [...]