Road Trip: Mt Washington Valley

every march we spend a week in mt. washington valley. we love this time of year in the white mountains. the bitter cold winter has usually subsided and gentle cool spring weather begins to settle in which is great for spending time outside. most years we even luck out and a fresh coat of snow covers the mountains. this year, however, the weather was unseasonably warm. we saw 60 degrees several days over the week. this is nice in theory but these conditions make for muddy icy trails. good thing we were prepared... well most of us. at the end of last season i purchased kingston the smallest micro spikes i could find at the trading post. i knew he would be spending more and more time out of his carrier in the upcoming year. he looked so cute in his boots and gear. Here is our road trip in photos.

he wanted to ride the elevator every night when we returned to the hotel asking what every button on the elevator panel is for each time. when keith explained "the help" button he asked "like when i need help picking up my toys?!" one of his least favorite things to do at home.
he would say his hellos to this little beaver carving everyday. he sang a song and played his guitar for his wood friend about how he saw his beaver den home and gave him a kiss on the nose to say goodbye as we waited for dad to pack the car. i was so funny and sweet.

15/52 and 16/52

"a portrait of my child once a week, every week, in 2016"

15/52 our cub:  singing and playing the drums, guitar and harmonica though out our days at home. his favorite songs at the moment are "shut up and dance" by walk the moon and "spirits" by the strumbellas. pretty sure because both refer to things mom and dad don't approve of saying "shut up" and guns. boys.

"a portrait of my child once a week, every week, in 2016"

16/52 our cub:  he wanted his shoes off, pants rolled up and toes in the sand as soon as we hit the beach. keith and i met with his teacher from daycare a few weeks ago and she only had good things to say about our little guy. we are so proud of him.
 

every week we are linking up with practicing simplicity weekly portrait project. 

13/52 and 14/52

"a portrait of my child once a week, every week, in 2016"

13/52 our cub: one chocolate carrot for breakfast, two egg hunts and lots of family time. this happy boy is truly enjoying welcoming spring and the fun this holiday brings. 

"a portrait of my child once a week, every week, in 2016"

14/52 our cub:  he wished for snow the night before. he was so excited to see the big flakes the next morning and could not wait to get outside after breakfast. unfortunately, it was cold, windy and snow was wet and heavy.    

every week we are linking up with practicing simplicity weekly portrait project. 

12/52

"a portrait of my child once a week, every week, in 2016"

12/52 our cub: loves the water and can almost swim on his own. problem is he is having too much fun. if he would just stop laughing and smiling he would be swimming, but he enjoys it so much he can't help but giggle and smile. 

every week we are linking up with practicing simplicity weekly portrait project. 

10/52 and 11/52

"a portrait of my child once a week, every week, in 2016"

10/52 our cub: really looks forward to weekends when dad is home. he is already catching on to the idea that weekends are great and usually made up of pancakes and adventures. 

"a portrait of my child once a week, every week, in 2016"

11/52 our cub: is such a good sharer. he will always give keith and i bite of his treat, even if he has chocolate. his favorite. i love his little spirit so much. he makes my heart want to explode.

every week we are linking up with practicing simplicity weekly portrait project. 

Eco Holiday Guide: Bunny Madness

#1 wooden eggs || #2 book one, book two, book three || #3 egg dye || #4 bunny plate || #5 OYOY rabbit || #6 bunny ear bag || #7 bunny ear teether || #8 stuffier one, stuffier two

easter is early this year, which i hope means warmer weather is soon to come. in the meantime i will take the longer days and the celebration of spring even if it is still rainy and cool. like so many of our holidays, we celebrate with family, friends and good food. don't get me wrong i love good food and sweet treats, but in an effort to balance the good with the bad and avoid the sugar crash i have been looking for ways to have a more eco friendly and slightly healthier holiday.

i found so many great ideas floating around the web, plastic egg alternatives, non-candy egg fillers, beautiful crafts and limited candy fill basket ideas. realistically we don't except to a have a candy free / plastic free easter, however we would like to minimize the amount of these things. Here are a few of my favorite links that i found.

growing a green family has wonderful ideas for non-plasic eggs and a list of great links. i love the hollow wooden egg. the wooden eggs can be dyed, painted, or drawn on with marker. we were thinking of arming kingston with some markers and let him create. we will add to the collection each year since it is a pricier alternative. (we will also dye real eggs, but i find that activity is tough for little kiddos.) this family has the right idea over at craft knife blog. they purchase solid wooden eggs which are more economical and decorated them. i have been thinking these are also a great alternative to the plastic egg hunt. upon return of each egg the child would receive a prize, pick a prize from a basket or number them for a more orderly game. the daily pea dyed her wooden eggs here and here and design mom put together the sweetest little farmer easter basket. maybe we will do this next year. she really has the best ideas. check out her pinterest. i could go on and on so i have pinned these ideas and more here: e a s t e r . hope you have a happy, healthy, earth friendly holiday.

9/52

"a portrait of my child once a week, every week, in 2016"

9/52 our cub: stream running. outside until the last ray of sun and beyond. 

every week we are linking up with practicing simplicity weekly portrait project.