CO SPRINGS MOM COLLECTIVE MAGAZINE
2021 SUMMER ISSUE
EVERY SUMMER HAS A STORY.
93 Days of Summer
Your children have had quite a year and are probably breathing a huge sigh of relief that Summertime is here.
Take advantage of the hours of sunshine and gorgeous summer nights and help your children savor each and every moment of it that they can.
Start by sitting down together as a family to create your 2021 summer bucket list. Will you visit all the parks? Take a road trip? Have a summer olympics competition? Perhaps you can eat dinner outside or sit around a fire pit to make S'mores. Stay cool in the summer heat by running through the sprinklers or filling up a kiddie pool with water balloons.
Make your own ice cream. Go on a scavenger hunt. Read books in the grass. Have a picnic in your backyard. Try your hand at gardening.
There are 93 days of summer. That's plenty of time to make some incredible memories.
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Gardening with Kids:
Summer Tips
You there. Step away from the tomato plant. It's not quite time yet.
In Colorado, the saying goes that you don’t plant before Mother’s Day- thanks to the risk of cold temps and spring snows (as we’ve experienced this year, it’s good advice). But after years of gardening here, I would edit that advice to add that you shouldn’t plant your summer garden until June or until the evening temps are consistently in the mid-50s.
FRESH & EASY SUMMERTIME RECIPES
It feels like a thousand degrees in your kitchen. You’ve been contemplating how feasible it would be to fill the kiddie pool up with ice cubes. The last thing in the world you want to do is turn on your oven. When you find yourself in this situation this Summer, turn to this list for seriously delicious meals that require ABSOLUTELY NO HEAT to prepare, and can be ready in 15 minutes or less
I don’t know about you, but the warmer weather and longer days have me longing for afternoons on the back patio, sipping adult beverages. To me, there is nothing more relaxing than my after-work cocktail. It allows me time to catch up on the day with my husband and soak up the warmth of the day while the kids giggle and run in the yard.
These are our favorites:
Think less about having to get home to feed hungry, grumpy kids and more about the sound of their laughter as they run through the splash pad just a few more times.
My kids only care about two things when it comes to lunches I pack- that it fills their stomachs and tastes good, too. Hopefully these ideas help you accomplish both!
Are We There Yet?
The Family Road Trip: Tips & Tricks
The family road trip. An American tradition. Pack everyone and everything into the station wagon, er, SUV and hit the open road. Sure, you could take a flight. But getting there is half the fun. Our family travels frequently. And over the years, we have figured out some hacks to minimize the drama and maximize the fun. Skeptical? Read on… with a dash of preparation and a sprinkle of patience, you, too, can forge some memories.
DON'T FEEL THE BURN
Whether your child is 18 months old or 18 years old, encouraging consistent sun safety can feel like an uphill battle.
But it’s worth taking on.
Skin cancer remains the most common form of cancer in the United States. A single blistering sunburn in childhood nearly doubles the risk of developing melanoma during adulthood.
As a pediatrician, I consider it part of my job description to be a sun safety cheerleader. Since gazing down the sunscreen aisle presents an endless variety of options, it can feel daunting. In fact, an article in JAMA Dermatology revealed that most of us don’t fully understand all that’s written on a sunscreen label.
It’s a mini science lesson worth teasing through. So here we go!
EXPLORING THE GREAT OUTDOORS
A GUIDE TO COLORADO CAMPING: OUR FAVORITE SPOTS
Camping in Colorado is spectacular. The mountains. The rivers. The trees. The snow. The sand dunes. Wait! What? Snow? Sand dunes? Yes. Due to its varying elevations between mountains, valleys and plains, Colorado offers everything. We have more than 13,000 campsites to choose from. So grab your family, make a reservation (or in some cases, show up) and enjoy the views!
All Aboard For Family Fun: Colorado Train Experiences
When I met my husband, I had only ridden trains twice. I was with my Grandma on a trip to California on the Amtrak when I was 5. I don’t really remember it. And, for one semester abroad in college, I had to take an electric train to campus. It was a practical thing and certainly not something I considered entertaining. I seriously underestimated the time I would spend in my life surrounded by all things trains and the enthusiasm for these great machines shared by the train loving population. In the 10 years we have been married, I am pretty sure I have been on every live stream engine passenger train within 300 miles, plus one in Williams, AZ. So, I thought I would share my experience in case you, too, have train lovers. Here are my favorite train experiences in no particular order: