Breathe In, Breathe Out

I don’t know what it is lately, perhaps it’s because we’ve recently returned from vacation and the memory of sand between my toes is so fresh, but I can’t stop thinking about summer. I’ve been browsing my favorite stores online looking to see if their patio furniture is available yet, and thinking about my favorite Sangria recipes (because it doesn’t feel the same having Sangria in the winter, have you noticed that?) I just feel so much better in the summer months!

Unfortunately, I can’t speed up time so until then, I’ve been trying to figure out ways to embrace winter or at the very least coast through it until summer is finally here. This year I’m again working with Saskatchewan In Motion on their #Mom2Mom Podcast series, sharing tips and ideas from our panel of moms on ways to get Saskatchewan families more active. It’s a great partnership for me as the host because I am always learning from our panel of smart, innovative and active moms.

One common piece of advice from moms this winter has been to just get out there! Yes, getting outdoors in the winter with the kids certainly takes more time than it does in the summer (have I mentioned how I miss sitting on my deck?) but by simply getting yourself outside, you’re taking an important, and healthy, step for yourself, your piece of mind, and of course it’s great for your kids to see mom and dad enjoying the outdoors too!

The picture above was taken earlier this winter when we had more snow, but admittedly this winter has had very little snow (which is odd for Saskatchewan). I didn’t realize how much winter fun was dependent on a blanket of fresh snow until we didn’t have any! Still, during the cooler months, it’s great for the family to get out even if it’s just for a walk with the dog in the evening after dinner. We do that a lot in the summer, so we should still be doing that in the summer even if the walk is a bit shorter due to the weather.

If you have enough snow, a great weekend afternoon tobogganing is great for the soul (maybe not so great for mom’s body, take a bath after to relax, mom!), and even the neighborhood park is a fun place to visit with the added element of some snow packed hills. We have countless outdoor skating rinks here in Regina, and of course the tobogganing hills are everywhere (Saskatchewan IS indeed pretty flat, but we have some hills, honest!)

Remember this video? I shared it last summer – it’s part of Nature Valley’s #RediscoverNature campaign and yes, it tugs at the heartstrings a bit. I think about this video, and how quickly the years go by (yes, even those winters!)

This picture is of my son when he was 6. SIX. He’s 11 now and I swear I just blinked. So, if you’re staying indoors and avoiding winter, waiting for the warmth of summer (I get you, mom, I do!) you’re missing out on your children’s day, the opportunity to get outside with them, giggle in the snow, and take some deep breaths to cleanse your mind. Give it a shot this month, and see how much better you feel for it!