Categories
Daily Life Mommy Diaries Utah

Our Spontaneous Plans for the Month of June

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Sometimes the best plans are the most unexpected ones. Our original spring plan involved visiting the Very Large Array in NM, heading through Flagstaff and Page, AZ, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and then driving north. Instead, however, we decided to spend more time in Arkansas, and take a direct route from New Mexico to Moab to meet up with some traveling friends. One of my favorite (and least favorite) parts of traveling full time is the certainty that plans will change.

Our new route took us through Blanding, UT where some Northern CA friends had just relocated last November. We love these friends, and it was great to catch up, see their new small-town life and get reacquainted. They have six kids still living at home which provided plenty of opportunity for games and play dates.

While we were there, my friend Janae, casually mentioned she had just signed her 10 and 18 year old daughters up to participate in the Mormon Miracle Pageant in Manti, UT and they were still looking for more participants. Immediately, we thought, “no way we can make that work” but after our traveling friends made the decision to skip Moab and head to Idaho we realized we didn’t have any pressing commitments for the month of June. Our thoughts immediately became, “why not?”

Following our sign up, we raced north to Sandy, UT to take care of some housekeeping items, visit with my family, and get some truck repairs done. We needed to be in Manti by Sunday, May 29th for an opening fireside devotional and then rehearsals which started June 1st.

For those who are not familiar with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, aka “Mormons”, the Manti pageant follows a fictional young couple in their search for religious truth in the early 1800’s, the events surrounding Joseph Smith and his translation of the ancient record, and the depiction of Jesus Christ visiting the people in North America after his crucifixion and resurrection as recorded in the Book of Mormon.

We are excited to share our faith and testimony with the thousands of people that come to see the pageant every year. We will be participating in large group scenes together as family and this will be a learning experience for all of us! Rachel is also going to learn how to square dance for a scene with the Mormon Pioneers, and we will all get a “road school” lesson in theater, production, working in large groups, and performance.

We have settled ourselves into an RV Park for the entire month of June (a first for us!) and plan to still work, school (and sleep!) during the day while attending rehearsals in the evenings. The pageant performances run from 9:30-11:30pm and many of our rehearsals are also very much past the kids’ bedtimes.

While I’m nervous about being in one place for so long, not having air conditioning (our spot is only a 20amp electric hook up!), and being up late at night, we think the experience for our family will be worth it. We’ve learned that mixing things up once in awhile is a good thing and are excited for this opportunity.

"Manti Temple"
Photo Credit http://www.jarviedigital.com/
Categories
Airstream Accessories Outdoor Gear

Possibly the World’s Coolest Hammock Strap.

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I’m a hammock guy. We added an ENO hammock to our gear collection long ago, and it comes out whenever we get the chance. We read in them, work in them, and even snuggle the kids in them. The ENO DoubleNest hammock we’ve been using have been good, but we have not been happy with the Atlas straps we bought. We’ve experienced some stitching failure on the straps, despite staying below the stated capacity of the straps. A few of the strap loops have failed completely, providing an unsettling experience.

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I began the search for a new set of straps, but all the straps I found were either very bulky, or were constructed in similar ways to our current failing straps. I was testing a Chrome Extension that I’ve been building, and was notified of a new Kickstarter Project from Ultimate Hammocks that claimed to be building the “Ultimate Strap” for hammock lovers. After reviewing their project, I was one of the first few backers.

Side Note: If you like Kickstarter projects, you should really use my LaunchScan extension to get notified of new projects and catch all the early-bird deals before they are gone! It’s free and easy to use.

After backing the project, I noticed that the creators were based out of the Salt Lake City area, where we are staying this week. We reached out to them, and they were kind enough to meet up and let us get a first hand look at the straps themselves as well as one of their hammocks (an extra hammock is never a bad thing!).

I should explain that I wasn’t looking for a way to hang my hammock with ropes. Thin ropes place all the weight of the hammock along a thin strip on the tree, and this can be damaging to the tree bark. Hammock straps are wider, and distribute the weight so well that the tree remains unharmed by my hammock time.

The really unique thing about the Ultimate Hammock Strap is that the multiple attachment loops are woven into the strap itself. This provides a connection much stronger than stitching and keeps the weight and bulk of the straps pretty low. The stitching is the weak point of our current hammock straps, and I’m glad to see somebody coming up with another solution.

The straps are also wider where it sits around the tree, providing more surface area which protects the bark but then slims down to keep the size and weight down on the rest of the strap.

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Long term durability tests have not been performed on the straps with this new unique weaving, but I can’t see how it would be any worse than the methods already in place. Strength testing has been performed on the straps, and they have an ample rating for hammock use.

These straps are not the only product of Ultimate Hammocks. They also sell hammocks directly, and they were nice enough to provide one for testing. We’ll have a deeper review later, but the hammock was well built and comfortable. It is worth noting that their hammocks can be bought through their KickStarter project for a pretty steep discount. $55 buys a single hammock AND straps, and $65 buys a double hammock AND straps. As this is less than the cost of most hammocks, this is a deal. Straps themselves are $25, and the price gets better adding extra straps and hammocks. Their Kickstarter project ends on 

Ultimate Hammock Straps_33An additional feature of these hammocks (as opposed to the ENO hammocks) is that the attached stuff sack for the hammock as enough room for the hammock AND the straps inside. We currently have one bag for the ENO hammock and one for the Atlas Straps and its annoying when they get separated.

Here is the difference in size between our old straps and the new Ultimate Hammock straps:

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We are pretty excited about this upgrade to our hammock. Our hammock comes with us backpacking so the lighter and less bulky, the better. We think that every traveler (and well, pretty much everyone in general) needs a hammock in their life and this is definitely a great one!

Categories
Outdoor Gear

Gear Review: Testing Out Kid’s Chaco Sandals

Our Review of Chaco's Kid Sandals - Currently Wandering

Sam and I have been Chaco Sandal owners since a few months after we were married almost twelve years ago. I loved using them on my river trips in college, and they are fabulous for casual, everyday summer wear. Plus, Chaco tans just make you look really hard core, right?

When I started hunting around for new sandals for the kids a few months ago, I contacted a representative at Chaco and asked them to send us kid sandals for us to review on the blog and through social media. Graciously they said yes, and let the kids pick out the color and style they wanted! We had to wait for our mail drop in Austin, but they’ve immediately become my kids’ go-to footwear for just about everything except long hikes.

If you are unfamiliar with the brand, Chaco is a high end shoe and sandal company that, “creates premium footwear and accessories for the outdoor-minded. We make simple, versatile products that provide superior comfort and durability. We believe life is enriched through outdoor adventure, travel, and community.” Seeing as I had the same pair of sandals for almost twelve years, I can attest to their durability. I actually wanted them to wear out so I could justify getting a new pair!

Back to the kids. We’ve tried many different sandals over the years, most recently being a closed-toe version from Payless Shoes. My kids hated having the closed-toes because even though they protect your feet, little rocks and sand would get stuck in there and be difficult to remove. Mostly they just sat in our shoe slot taking up space and I would get annoyed anytime one of the kids didn’t want to wear them. So far, with Chacos, we’ve had zero stubbed toes (knock on wood), a lot less trapped rocks, and my kids wear them every day! The occasional pebble will still slide in between their feet and the bottom of the shoe, but I think this happens with every type of sandal and we just loosen the straps quick and shake it out.

Cara picked out the Fiesta straps on the Kids ZX/1 Ecotread line.  Super fun and bright, and I love the look of the double straps. We may have ordered them a bit big since the pull strap hits the ground, but I was worried about them being too small as she was right on the line of two sizes. So far we haven’t had any problems.

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Naturally, Andrew wanted orange so he picked out Intersect from the Kids Z/1 Ecotread line. He liked the beefier single strap, and I definitely agree they look more masculine than the double strap ones. None of the kids line has the toe loop which is probably for the best! While I love the toe loop on mine, it definitely makes them harder to get on and off.

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Rachel desperately wanted her ZX/1 sandals in Dagger, but they were out of stock. She decided on Chantilly Rouge instead and loves them. They are a super bright pink color, but not too pink since she’s not really a girly- girl.

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Once we picked up our sandals, we immediately set to test them out. Our first outing was a swimming hole outside of Austin, TX at Mckinney Falls State Park. Sandals are great for swimming holes because you never know what is going to be on the bottom, and they can protect your feet while climbing over rocks. The kids also had fun playing in the shallow water and I felt good knowing their feet were more protected and the had a little more grip on the rocks to prevent slipping.

Of course there was some rock jumping as well.

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We also went on a bike ride as a family along the Ann and Roy Butler Hike & Bike Trail in downtown Austin, TX. We had planned to hit a splash pad at the end of our 8 mile ride so the kids wore swim suits and Chacos. Alas, the water was not turned on yet, but we had a great ride and ended with Slurpees from 7-11 instead. The kids had no problems wearing sandals instead of shoes and I think they actually preferred it!

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We also participated in an Earth day, garbage, clean-up canoe trip on the Buffalo National River in Arkansas. When I talked to the ranger she mentioned that everyone “needed to have shoes that can get wet, as we’ll be getting in and out of the boats to pick up trash.” Perfect.

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In short, we love these sandals.  They are a bit more pricey than you’d pay for sandals at Payless or Target, but they are comfortable, durable, and built to last. I imagine we’ll be passing these down through our kids, and maybe even on to some nieces and nephews when Cara outgrows them!

And because I may have been a tad bit jealous of my girls’ super cute double strap design, I bought myself a new pair as well.

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Categories
Fitness & Recipes

Airstream Kitchen: Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls

Airstream Kitchen Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls

We love spaghetti squash in this house and I was excited to find this recipe on Pinterest. Since our oven heats up the entire house, however, I’m pretty careful about the days I bake. We happened to have an overcast day in Arkansas that was perfect to throw the squash into the oven for 45 minutes. This one is kind of like twice baked potatoes, only with spaghetti squash. I suppose you could ditch the skin and put the whole thing into a cast iron pan as well. Oooohhh… I think I’ll try that next time!

Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls

Serves: family of 5
Adapted from Christine Pechulis

Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash
2 tsp coconut oil
1/2 lb lean ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
1 sweet bell pepper, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 can kidney or black beans, drained & rinsed
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp canned chilies or jalapenos (I omitted this and we just put Green Chili Tabasco sauce on it instead – definitely needs some kick however you do it!)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup cheddar, colby jack or Mexican cheese, shredded
Toppings: cilantro, avocado, plain Greek yogurt, chopped tomatoes, Tabasco sauce.
Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F.
  2. Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds. Lay skin side down on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until tender.
  3. While its cooking, heat coconut oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add ground turkey and cook until almost done.  Add onions and peppers (and more coconut oil if needed) and continue to saute until veggies are soft. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add beans, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, chilies/jalapenos, tomato sauce, salt and cilantro. Stir to combine and then remove from heat. Add half of the cheese and stir again.
  4. Remove spaghetti squash from oven and let it cool a little before using a fork to remove strands. Try and keep the shell intact because you are going to need it!
  5. Add spaghetti squash to meet mixture and stir to combine.
  6. Divide mixture in half and put it back inside the shells. Cover with remaining cheese.
  7. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Garnish with avocado, extra cilantro, chopped tomatoes, Greek yogurt, and Tabasco sauce.

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Categories
Biking Giveaways Texas

Visiting Woom HQ in Austin + a Helmet Giveaway!

During our visit to Austin, we made a visit to the Woom Bike USA Headquarters. You might remember Woom Bikes from our experience teaching Cara to ride a bike last year. We’ve loved Cara’s bike, and it has been a wonderful year zooming around. We were pretty stoked to visit HQ and meet Mathias and the team!

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The first thing we did was learn about all the new bike upgrades they’ve made over the last year. Their already great bikes are now even better. The Woom 3 is the bike Cara has been riding around, and the new upgrades to that bike are substantial. The bike now ships with a freewheel hub (instead of requiring a replacement) and it is lighter. The rear hand brake is now colored green for easy identification and teaching kids. Their other bikes have similar upgrades.

We also got a really good look at the Woom 1, their smallest balance bike. We were into balance bikes far before Woom came on the scene, and this thing is amazing compared to what we used with our kids. Most notable is a hand brake, which would have been VERY nice, particularly since we took Cara on some (easy) mountain bike trails.

The Woom 1 comes in a variety of colors and can be ordered from their website or on Amazon. They periodically do pre-orders when they know shipments are coming in from overseas so plan ahead if you are getting one for a special occasion!

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The office has a poster filled with Instagram pictures of kids and their awesome bikes, and we found Cara! The staff was amazing, explaining to both us and our kids about how bikes are assembled and prepared for their new owners before shipping. Also, did we mention how light these bikes were? A lighter bike is both easier to control and is much more fun for kid and parent alike.

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All the talk of newer bike features made us want to try them out! Cara tried out a new Woom 4 (green, in the picture below), Andrew a Woom 5, and even Rachel tried out a Woom 6, their new large bike in the series.

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Our visit was preceded by a new shipment of bikes, and the warehouse was PACKED with bikes to prep and ship to customers. Business is so good they are being forced into a larger space to continue to meet demand.

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While we were there, the Fedex truck came to pick up a shipment of bikes. They packed the truck full, and had to send another truck for the rest! Now every time Cara sees a Fed Ex truck she points it out and wonders aloud if they are Woombikes inside!

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To more fully test these new bikes, we borrowed 3 bikes for a weekend of mountain biking in the hill country outside Comfort, Texas.

Taking along 3 extra bikes for a weekend of testing presented a problem: How to fit 8 bikes on a truck with racks for only 4. The solution was found in the Woom Seersucker rack, attached atop the cab of the truck. This suction mount was easy to place, and gave us places for an extra 2 bikes. We headed immediately over to REI, and bought another Yakima High Roller  Rooftop Bike Rack for our normal bars to complete the setup. (We had been planning to buy another when Cara got a bigger bike, and now was the time!)

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We’ll talk more specifically about the Woom4 and Woom5 bikes in a few later posts, but that’s long enough for now.

Giveaway!

**Contest Closed***

While we were there, we got a look at the Woom kids Melon helmets. We are big believers in wearing helmets, and this is a great one. There are two features that this helmet has that are unfortunately rare among kids helmets.

First, the helmet is extremely lightweight. It provides ample protection, yet doesn’t drag a kid down with an uncomfortably heavy head. Internal replaceable pads allow the helmet to be sized down to smaller heads and grow with them.

Second, the latch has been designed to be worked by kid fingers, AND be pinch free. The buckles typically found on bike helmets can be hard for a kid to work. This buckle is magnetic to allow for easy opening and closing, yet remains just as strong while under the kind of stress common in an accident. Cara has always struggled to work her helmet buckles with previous helmets, but just once or twice on this helmet and she had it figured out. The buckle slides together from the side and holds in place with a magnet. The buckle remains fixed tightly when pulled from the straps.

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Does this sound like a helmet you would like to have? You are in luck! Woom Bikes is giving one away! These helmets are a size small – so definitely for younger kids. Melon recommends ages 18 months to 5/6 years old. You have two options for style pictured below:

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To enter, comment below on your favorite place to take your kids biking and we’ll randomly draw a winner Wednesday, May 18th at 10pm MST!

As always, thanks for shopping through our Amazon affiliate links when you can – you spend the same amount and we earn a few pennies to help maintain our blog!

 

Yakima High Roller Rooftop Bike Rack

We now own 4 of these and use them on the back of our truck to carry our bikes. We love that you don’t have to take the front wheels off!

WoomBikes Balance Bike

Hand brake, super light weight, and will help your child learn to balance as young as 18 months old!

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