It’s been spitting rain and cool temperatures all week, incredibly autumnal for the middle of August. I’ve been itching to get outdoors for days, so when I checked the forecast, I knew we needed to get the kids out for a walk. Less than 20 minutes from our house, Nicky Nook was a perfect circular…
Back when my husband and I were young and carefree (you know, no kids, no house renovations), we enjoyed walking as a hobby. There is plenty to enjoy nearby. We like to get to the Lake District when we can manage it, but we are also very close to the coast and to Arnside and…
One day last spring I happened upon an article about hammock camping. Thanks, Pinterest. Basically, hammock camping is meant to be amazing. Much more comfortable than sleeping on the ground. Less complicated than a tent. And just more fun in general. After perusing several more articles and websites, I was sold on the idea. I’ve…
I turned 30 last week. As I approached the end of my twenties, I decided I should have some sort of a bucket list of things to do before the big day arrived. Unfortunately, by the time I made this decision, I only had about six weeks left until my birthday. I had time for…
I mentioned briefly last week that Carl and I took the boys camping for two nights in the Lake District. Before our trip, I spent some time online, looking for a place to take the kids for a day out. When I came across the WildPlay trail at Whinlatter Forest, I thought it looked perfect. As…
After the fiasco of last week’s un-camping trip, our family didn’t have much excitement left for our actual camping trip. Partly, we had had a pretty busy week, but also there wasn’t much to actually prepare. I had done it all the week before! Still, Friday rolled around, I packed the car and the cooler, and we…
This is my eighth week of blogging at Around the Thicket. I have just begun to explore some of the topics that fascinate me the most: learning in the early years, sibling relationships, and especially outdoor play. While I have shared a few tricks that make my life easier, I don’t have it all figured out. I want…
Last year, I decided on a whim that Carl and I should take our kids camping. I felt desperate to be outside and frustrated that I so often failed to get them outdoors. Camping would make this easy. They would be outside because there wouldn’t be anywhere else to be. I wouldn’t have to juggle naps and pushchairs, and…
Even with an incredible four weeks visiting my home state of Indiana, I still find it tough to see all the people I want to see in that amount of time. Weekends go too quickly and Carl has limited time to take off work. Plus, I’m reluctant to have the boys in the car too often….
Fried chicken and hiking Trail Two at Shades State Park. When my mom asked me and my siblings what we wanted to do for Memorial Day, the decision was quick and unanimous. We’ve been going to Shades as long as I can remember, and it is always a feature of any visit we make to…