Trail Mix

During our last Costco trip my oldest asked for trail mix. The problem is that she hates raisins, so I feel like buying it is a waste. Today we made our own, by basically throwing in a bunch of stuff that we had in our pantry. It turned out AMAZING and my kids had fun helping me make it. Plus it has less salt and sugar than the prepackaged stuff.  Here's what we threw in it:

Trail Mix
6 oz dark chocolate covered cranberries
3 oz Sunny Seeds (chocolate covered sunflower seeds)

1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 cup cashews
1/2 cup roasted almonds
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup dried blueberries
2 cups dried cinnamon apples
2 cups pop corn (no butter or salt)
1 cup pretzel goldfish

1. Let one of the kids stir it all together in a large bowl. 2. Bag it up for adventures and road trips. :)

Lucky Laces 5K in Denver 2015

Last Saturday, my in-laws, my husband and kids ran the Lucky Laces 5K in Denver City Park. It was

my older two kids first 5k race and they did a great job! Both of them placed in the top 30 for their age category (although my daughter was actually in the wrong category, but whatever). I was proud of both of them that they tried hard and ran the race with very minimal whining.

 We had a rough start. Of course we were struggling to get everyone out the door. Then after we packed the minivan it wouldn't start. So we split up between our car and my in-laws. While we were still trying to find parking, they pumped up our stroller tires and one of the inner-tubes popped. Fortunately, I had an umbrella stroller to put my toddler in instead of carrying her, but it's not really great for running. After all of that we got to the start line as the tail end of the main crowd had just past.

 The weather was brisk, but not too cold. And the park is beautiful to run through. The path goes past multiple statues and the lake (pond?), and for sections of it there is a good view of the mountains. Being able to see the mountains always inspires me to keep running, and do it with a smile on my face. The support was good, the post race breakfast was great and the kids were very excited to have their own racing medals. It's also the fun kind of race where people get decked out in St. Patrick's Day trappings. (I had a good excuse to wear my piranha plant pants, but really does one need an excuse?)

Denver City Park Statues & the Finisher Medal

Denver City Park and the mountains in the background

 If anyone is considering doing this race next year, I would recommend it. (There is also a separate fun run for younger kids.) We had a good time.

13 Ways to Encourage Your Kids to Be Active in the Winter

Recently we moved from southern Utah to the Denver area. It has been quite the climate change. One new challenge for me has been keeping the kids active when it is frigid outside. And I don't just say it's cold because we have become soft desert bunnies. -8 degrees Fahrenheit is still cold, even by Denver standards. Here's some ideas that I have found to be effective.

1. Be an example! It is certainly less hassle for me to exercise when my kids are asleep, but some days I don't get up before them to do my workouts. I want them to see that exercise is an important and regular part of my life. And many times they jump in and do my workouts with me.
2. Bundle up and go outside- There are winter days where this is impractical, but there are times when this is exactly what my kids and I need avoid cabin fever. If there is enough snow, go sledding, build a snow fort or make snow angels.
3. A small indoor trampoline- A friend recommended this and it will be waiting under the tree this Christmas. It doesn't take up a lot of space, can be stored against a wall in the closet and can help them get a fun cardio workout.
4. Dance with your kids It has become a habit in our household that when a Disney movie ends (especially Wreck It Ralph), that the kids and I dance around the living room until the credits end.
5. Limit screen time- The official recommendations are that children should not spend more than 1-2 hours in front of a screen per day. I will be the first to admit that that is really difficult to enforce, especially when I have homework to do. Here are our house rules, before screen time my kids must 1. Have homework done 2. Do one small chore for every 20 minutes of screen time.
6. Visit museums- This can get pricey, but keep an eye out for free museum days and coupons. Another good route is a museum membership. This year our museum membership of choice is the Denver Art Museum. $80 for our family for a year and it was worth every penny. And museum trips involve a lot of walking.
7. Zoos & Aquariums- Same benefits as museums, but it's easy to add in some imaginative

   

   The Lions at the Denver Zoo (late October)

   movements. 'Let's walk like an elephant', or 'Show me how a monkey moves' Even in the winter there are sunny days that permit this with a hat and a jacket. (Denver can get really cold, but we've had several good weather days scattered throughout.)
8. Plan family walks- Even if they are short. Take notice of  how the trees change, or the birds migrating or other wildlife. (Around here, there are tons of bunnies and groundhogs. My kids like to see who can find the most.)
9. Visit the mall- Most have indoor play areas, and if nothing else it can offer an indoor place to walk a few laps.
10. Roller skating- This one is hard for my toddler, even with the trainer and me supporting her. However, it is a favorite activity for my older kids. It's an exercise that builds strength and balance. (For those in the Denver area, there is a Living Social deal for it.)
11. Have contests- My son loves to see how many push-up he can do, and he isn't really competing against anyone other than himself  "I want to see if I can do 25 push-ups this time!" Other indoor ideas include jumping jacks, bending over to pick up toys, touching your toes, knee lifts. You teach your kids to do many simple exercises this way
12. Lessons & Team Sports- Karate, Ballet, Soccer, etc. These can become time-consuming and expensive, but just remember that you are investing in your child's health and well-being. A fantastic low-cost option in this category is Girls on the Run. It's an awesome program for girls 3rd-8th grade that teaches fitness and healthy habits.
13. Take time to play with them- Most young kids love to play with their parents. As parents, most of us are busy, but try to make it priority to spend a few minutes with them. Get on the floor and play with them, or build blanket forts or play tag with them at the park. You are building your relationship(s) with them, you are encouraging their development and you are teaching them that being active is fun.