The Power of Outdoors

I am ashamed to admit that I’ve never been a huge lover of the outdoors. In the summer it’s much easier for me, but during the cold months I’d rather snuggle up inside. I strongly dislike being cold! But this year I’ve quickly learned that getting outside is one thing that the pandemic and its limitations cannot take away from us. With three of my kids currently in a remote learning model, spending an hour or two outside every afternoon has been our saving grace. And guess what? I’ve found that I actually crave that time of day. I want to get outside just as I much as I want to send my kids out! It has been an instant mood lifter and everyone is just happier in the great outdoors. Sometimes we take a walk down the road, sometimes we play on the swing set. Lots of times my kids run off to their creative play and I walk around our property and daydream. Other times we sit (or lay!) and watch the clouds or the birds in the trees. This weekend my kids got a lesson from Dad on how to build a fire and it was so much fun! They even asked to cook dinner over the fire on Sunday night, so that’s what we did!

I recently bought this book, and it’s given me a huge mind shift! I’m learning a lot, one of the most important being BASE LAYERS! I come from the generation of wearing bread bags on your feet inside of your boots to keep your feet dry. It never occurred to me that I didn’t have to freeze my booty off outside!  This season I’ve been researching and slowly investing in better cold weather gear, and let me just say, the difference is definitely notable! Now, for a family of 6 this can be quite costly, so it’ll take some time. I’m using what we have, and when we NEED something new I an investing in a better option than what we currently have. I’ve also been trying to buy as much gender neutral as I can, as I have two girls and two boys. This stuff should definitely last through a few kids, if not more!

I encourage you to increase your time outdoors with your kids, and see how it positively impacts your family! I hope you’ll find it just as beneficial as we have!

xo,

Amy