Here is the truth about winter:
I don't shave my legs; I do eat many warm, baked treats, and it's far too cold to go outside so yes, let's all sit in front of the television and blast the heater ALL DAY LONG.
Uh oh. Something is wrong with this picture.
Warm, baked treats need double cream or a nice scoop of vanilla bean ice-cream, it's true.
Annnnnnnd, sitting in front of the television all day is bad.
So I said to myself, I said, "Angie, making the personal decision to be sedentary and hairy is all well and good but as the mother of three impressionable young children, you really should consider making a better decision for them."
Sigh. I couldn't argue. Myself had made a great point. So that was when I told everyone to round up their bikes because, dammit, we were heading out on a wintery afternoon's adventure.
It was late afternoon, almost four o'clock and it did occur to me that we may have left it too late, that dinner and bedtime were not so far away. But I knew my sneaky brain was in cahoots with my lazy butt so I had to push through the self-sabotage.
Eager to check out a new playground in a nearby suburb, we loaded up the car and off we went. With the boys on their bikes and Harlow strapped into her brand new Smart Trike 4-in-1 Dream, we hit the bike path, the crisp afternoon air putting a rosy blush on the kids' cheeks. The going was slow but in the nicest possible way. Luca would zoom ahead and then circle back to meet us. Zig was exercising his right to be a three-year-old by refusing to pedal half the time which left Bren with the juggle of pushing Zig along on his bike and steering Harlow's ride, too. And I followed along behind taking happy snaps.
My job was ace.
We stopped to notice stuff along the way, we took turns pushing Harlow who happily chewed on the toy phone that came attached to the Smart Trike.
No-one cried or fought or whinged. It was actually….pleasant. A lovely, relaxed event. And the truth about going anywhere with three small children in tow is that lovely, relaxed and pleasant are not commonly used adjectives.
We followed the bike path around the perimetre of the park, and then turning west where the sun was steadily sinking into the horizon, we cut through a pony club, the gravel beneath out feet imprinted with the crescent moons of horseshoes, and ended up at the new playground. The flying fox was a huge hit.
And the whole time, despite the increasing chill in the air, Harlow was content. Rather than sitting back passively in the pram, her new wheels put her front and centre in the action.
Stopping off for dinner at a burger lounge on the way home rounded out a seriously gorgeous family outing. We may never go anywhere or do anything ever again because it's possible we've used up all our happy family credits.
But that's not the moral of the story. The moral is get out there and do stuff. Maybe your family is already the "go, see, do" type. I have to admit we are not. Going out with three kids is a recipe for tears and tantrums and at least one kid peeing their pants but I think you have to try. And apart from the spontaneous dinner out afterwards, this cost us zip. If we had been better prepared, we could have brought along a picnic dinner to eat in the park. But there's always next time.
WIN A SMART-TRIKE 4-IN-1 DREAM
Want to win a trike that will grow with your child? Graduating in four stages from a parent-controlled trike for babies right through to a classic pedal trike for toddlers, this little beauty gives good mileage. The steering is great, there's a brake for stopping safely and Harlow loved the phone accessory. And Bren assures me it was super-simple to assemble. Check out this quick video to discover more.
Valued at $199, I have one Smart-Trike 4-in-1 Dream to give away. Complete your entry in one simple step;
- Leave a comment here on the blog telling me your favourite way to stay active with the family.
Terms & Conditions
This competition is open to residents within Australia only and is a game of chance. Entries close on Saturday 6 July 2013 at midnight AEST. The winner will be drawn randomly and announced on the blog on Sunday 7 July 2013. The winner must make contact via email within 5 days or another winner will be drawn.
Good luck!
Disclaimer: I was gifted the red Smart-Trike you see Harlow riding on in the pictures and because I love you, I asked that one be gifted to a lucky reader via this giveaway.
We usualy go for a walk along the river with our dog its peaceful and the scenery is amazing sometimes even see a rabbit or two along with all the birds 🙂
Nothing is more exciting for my 4 year old than a walk or ride to the local park and my littlest man loves watching his big brother zooming ahead and I know it won’t be long before he is joining him… I also usually end up really enjoying myself too.. once I convince my lazy butt to get out the door… 🙂
Mali would love “riding” this to the park while will scoots along beside us on his scooter. We love a trip to the park in winter coats, hats and gumboots so we can jump in puddles along the way.
With our new bub in the Ergo we take our toddler on a bushwalk that my partner created at the back of our property. She loves it and we all benefit from the fresh air and the chance to ‘regroup’.
I find that on a cold winters day, if the sun is shining and it is not too windy, we can still walk along the beach with the 2 kids and the dog and it is a special kind of amazing! The water still sparkles and there are people from all around walking their dogs and fishing- taking advantage of the sunshine! AND the kids are usually exhausted when we get back from running up & down the beach- bonus!!
I too prefer the comfort of indoors and my wood fire, however my kids love being outside! I’ve made a promise to myself to get outside with them at least once a day whilst we are experiencing this rain free winter patch! Somedays that just involves pushibg them on the swing, otyer times I load miss 17months up in the backpack carrier and together with miss 3 we go for a walk!
I know that we’re meant to say our favourite way to stay active with the family, but the trouble is, we’re not active enough… and I just *know* that we *would* be much more active if… we had one of these to put our baby bilby in! He would love that! Plus, it’s his birthday in a couple of days time, perfect timing! I do know however, that his older siblings would be fighting for turns at pushing him around in it – indoors or outdoors! 🙂
We have some beautiful parks here in town. Even the stark Winter trees have a beauty to them. Best of all are the bike paths. The ducks are a great favourite too.
The Smart-Trike 4-in-1 Dream is fabulous. Thank you for this opportunity.
We enjoy walking or playing at the park at our local Western Plains Taronga Zoo lots of fun for the kiddies or we’ll stop an animal of their choice and walk to the next animal
The beach, the beautiful beach, a giant sandpit that never fails to entertain the kids. Thanks for a reminder to get out and about, even in the cold…
We have a lovely park across the road & another nearby with a great bike track which my daughter loves. Normally I send her out with her Dad while I stay snug & warm at home with our baby. The Smart Trike would be perfect for him – and no more excuses for me. 😀
Our youngest has just hit the right age for a backpack so we have started doing little bushwalks with all 3 kids. If you live in Tasmania it seems a crime not to bushwalk! (Although as I child I hated being dragged out on ‘lovely’ walks… but now I’m doing it to my own!)
I like to pop the baby in the sling and take the dog for a walk with our older son. Bub goes to sleep and I get a chance to have a really good conversation and quality time with my bigger boy.
Mummy and Me ballet! I love it just as much as my two and three year old. 🙂
I think we’re soulmates! Hate shaving, hate the outdoors! I’ve found the best way to tackle the second (because the first is just too hard and I can’t be bothered) is to get my daughter all rugged up and get myself either a cup of tea (in the morning) or glass of wine (in the afternoon) and head on out to the backyard. Looks like you all had a fun day out in the cold (I’m sure they didn’t feel the weather though and just enjoyed their day out with their Mumma!)
We love to go for picnics during weekends so that everyone can enjoy some active time outside.we go to playground in the evening everyday where mum and dad can walk and kids can ride their scooters. Moreover we walk to the nearby lake to feed ducks.
At home we use Wii fit to stay active and have a dance hour with kids before dinner time.
My DS2 loooves the idea of a walk or scoot around the block (and DD 9months loves anything he loves), but his little legs often start to run out of steam just after the half way point (sods law right!), so when the pace starts to slow (and sometimes reverse!) I spur him on by reminding him of the awesome lemon tree we found on the edge of a quiet bush footpath on our ‘home straight’ – it’s loaded with lemons that are just in reach if we jump super high (mummy’s legs are similarly ‘little’, so this always results in lots of giggles!). It’s our favourite afternoon activity right now – and even when it’s cold, it’s fun!
Aside from when it’s raining incessantly (as it has been for the past week!) we take the kids into the backyard where we’ve put together a park set up – sandpit, swings, slides, a giant chalkboard, a see saw, cubby houses, picnic tables, a jumping castle (and a hammock for mum and dad!) and we let them burn off some energy and take in some fresh air 🙂
We like to explore the neighbourhood at dusk (and snoop on all the new houses up for sale!!) Just on sundown our neighbourhood comes alive when everyone arrives home from work and we run into other families walking and playing in the park.
Oh my God…if I had some places like this here in Brasil, I would go out with my kids every single day!!! I wish I was born in AUS!!!!
My favourite way to exercise as a family is to walk to the local park together. When it’s quiet, I love climbing the spiderweb frame with my kids..pretending I’m really not all grown up 🙂
On a side note, I may have just polished off..umm, more than a couple of Mint Slice bikkies and was thinking how I should get myself motivated to be healthier when I read your blog post! The trike looks wonderful, my 15 month old would be in heaven. Thanks for the chance to enter x
Our poor children are not blessed with very sporty parents although they are enrolled in their fair share of swimming and the oldest one does the odd season of organised sport like basketball. Our favourite family activity is simply walking! Something fortunately we all can manage! We walk to the supermarket, school, town or the park. Our youngest gets to sit in the pram and enjoy the ride, but would love to get along in her own vehicle!
our motto is don’t think much – just dress up according to the weather and go out with the family for a walk ,run or ride a bike.Switch off the tv,laptop and ipad and do whatever you like outside.
We love to explore the many playgrounds nearby or walk to the local nature reserve. Our toddler would love to explore on a smart trike!
We walk to the footy oval with Arch hooning on his balance bike, dogs running off lead, me pushing the pram and screaming like a mad woman when toddler or dogs don’t listen to me.. Good times!!
We’ve just moved to a new suburb with a pond!! We take master 3 and miss 1 up to feed the ducks! It’s just lovely!
I like to take the girls down to the local park or the lake to feed the ducks. When hubby isn’t working and in the warmer months we enjoy going for a walk down the beach front.
Little miss is 13 months old and not walking as yet. She is starting to get over the pram. I think she would really enjoy a smart trike 🙂
I love to throw on some old school Michael Jackson or Prince and get groovin’ like nobody is watchin! Reluctantly the hubby and kids join in and before you know it we are all busting out Patrick Swayze/John Travolta/Kevin Bacon combo moves. The hysterical laughing does wonders for the abs!
I love to have House Dance Parties with my kids. On high rotation at the moment is Dr Nickabocka and Hot Potato from the Wiggles with a bit of Blurred Lines from Robin Thicke thrown in. Yes, that is an eclectic DJ mix right there!!! I have this gnawing, ever growing feeling that I will never be a Mum to a girl. As a result I have decided that now is the time to lay the foundation to have my boys dance with me in the future at family weddings, birthdays and anytime the music makes you want to tap your feet. I would be one happy Mumma if they decided that I wasn’t “embarrassing” and pulled me onto that dance floor in the future.
Favourite way we get active is going for family walks. Usually a walk to the local beach & back, but as the kids get more able we’ve done some longer walks. Biggest trouble is when the littlest does not want to stay in pram but is too little to stay out of traffic or walk the distance. This would definitely solve our issue & mean we can get out even more! As you say, I really want to set a good example for the kids but equally important I need to get my butt into gear & get more active myself!
Favourite way we get active is going for family walks. Usually a walk to the local beach & back, but as the kids get more able we’ve done some longer walks. Biggest trouble is when the littlest does not want to stay in pram but is too little to stay out of traffic or walk the distance. This would definitely solve our issue & mean we can get out even more! As you say, I really want to set a good example for the kids but equally important I need to get my butt into gear & get more active myself!
We walk to the park to watch our furry baby (the one with 4 legs) run like the wind…
We live really close to a fabulous creek and bikepath, so often spend time scootering/walking/riding and, you are so right, it’s not always a pleasant affair with three littlies (your 3yo sounds surprisingly like mine!). But last weekend, we had a lovely meander with no particular destination in mind. We stopped for coffee, to feed ducks, to play at two different playgrounds, to chat with people we knew… and it was lovely not to have an agenda, to just be together. A good making-simple-memories afternoon x (PS. I know the competition is closed, but I’m just catching up on posts – I’m a bit behind!) Mwa x
When it goes like that, is there a better time in the world??? Seriously, those are the moments that make up for all the others. Just being together. So good. xx