The Powderhound, aged 5, took it upon himself to capture his perspective of Vail on our recent trip.. here are some highlights..enjoy!!
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Monthly Archives: March 2012
March 29, 2012
March 28, 2012
While we are getting the first dusting of snow in the Southern Hemisphere- ( thank you Thredbo, Hotham, Buller and Queenstown.. well done, take a bow!). Our friends in the US and Canada are still getting the opportunity for some awesome Spring skiing and boarding!!
Northstar, Heavenly and Squaw are predicted to receive 8-12″ in the next 24 hours with snow all the way down to the lake! For our skimama friends heading to Tahoe today- be safe on the roads!
Whistler has a light dusting expected overnight
Oh how I wish we were there!
Enjoy your Spring Break and make the most of all the fresh pow!!
March 26, 2012
I always like to keep a snack in my pocket when we are out on the slopes, and love a trail mix blend. We make our own trail mix and the combination varies depending on where we are and what is available. We keep a jar of this on the bench during ski holidays and pop some in Ziploc bags each day for everyone.
Here are some of my fave blends:
Skimama’s Decadent Burn up the Trail Mix
Equal parts:
- Dry roasted peanuts
- Dry roasted cashews
- Yoghurt covered raisins
- Regular M&M’s/ Almond M&M’s/Pretzel M&M’s/Peanut Butter M&M’s
- Sultanas/ Raisins
Skimama’s Healthy Trail Mix
Equal parts:
- Almonds
- Sultanas
- Coconut flakes
- Craisins
- Pepita’s
- Sunflower Seeds
- Dried figs/Apricots/Mango/ Apple
March 26, 2012
I have been lusting after these boots for a while and finally bit the bullet and bought them for our latest ski trip, they were worth the wait!!! Not only fashionable but super warm- they are rated for temperatures down to minus 25 degrees. I bought mine in “Shale”, the boots feature a suede upper with a charcoal and caramel faux fur trim. Now a top shopping tip if you are planning a ski trip to the US, shop online and have your purchases shipped to your hotel. This vacation, I had a new ski jacket (review to come later this week), my Sorel’s, and some new “pretties” (jewellery) waiting in our hotel when we arrived, ready for action.
Back to the boots…. bought mine online at Nordstrom, the arrived in two days with free shipping and returns (great if you are not certain on size) The boots are perfect for après ski and general snow play-including snow-shoeing. They stay dry and super warm. They are a bit “heavy” but I like that. I think if you live in a colder climate and need an “everyday” snow boot, you would possibly be better off with the Sorel Tofino, (lighter and more “fashion” than “apres ski” If I lived in the snow I would buy both of these boots! They are relatively easy to pull on and off- there are small loops attached to the top of the boots to make this easy and they lace up easily. You can also remove the fur trim which is attached to the liners- 2 looks in 1 boot!! They are seam sealed and waterproof too. Highly recommend these boots for some snow stomping!
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March 25, 2012
A two part blog on my top tips for travelling with children for a ski holiday. We have taken ski holidays since The Ski Bunny was 6 months. I’ve put together some ideas to help make your next family ski trip an easy one!
1) Pack your children’s ski gear in your carry on- jacket, thermals and snow boots- NOTHING worse than arriving at a ski destination in Summer clothes and have your bags not arrive…. Just the basics not everything. It is usually very easy to hire the rest of your gear when you get there, in the worst case of your gear not arriving, but cold, inappropriately dressed kids will ruin your holiday from the get go!!
2) Take Hydralyte pops with you to help with altitude adjustment. These are packed in EVERY travel bag I ever pack. Get your kids hydrated without tears. Water is essential to help with altitude adjustment and these help with fluid intake and also are a fun distraction if they do start to suffer.
3) Pack spare gloves/mittens and a few hats!! You will inevitably lose a mitten at some point regardless of how careful you are- we have tried everything from mittens attached to a string threaded through sleeves of a ski jacket to having them clipped to each jacket. No matter what, one will get lost!!
4) Make sure you don’t ski every day of your holiday. It breaks my heart to say this but younger kids will need a rest day. Plan something fun- sledding, snowshoeing, iceskating. Most resorts have fantastic options for alternatives to skiing and boarding every day. We recently took a 14 day vacation and skied 10 of those days, this was plenty for our 5 & 2 year old.
5) Do not overpack- repeat do not overpack!!! Younger kids do not need many clothing options – they will either be in ski clothes or, if they are like my kids, want to wear their thermals around the chalet. You would be amazed at how much you can fit in ski/ board bags too. I am the worst offender in our family for taking too many “options” for clothing On our last trip I took 4 coats for 14 days- I did not need 4 coats… but I found opportunities to wear every one!
6) Book your children’s ski lessons and child care/nursery before you leave home. Some resorts have small children’s programmes and they book up quickly during peak periods. You don’t want to arrive on your much anticipated ski holiday, to find out your kids cannot ski!!
7) Look at your accommodation and distance to ski school/ childcare This is a BIG consideration for some families, especially those with small children. Even if you are staying at a ski in/ski out condo, you may have to walk or catch in town shuttle to get to where your child’s ski school is located. Consider how you will carry, your ski’s/ partner’s skis, kid’s skis AND diaper/nappy/ childcare bags to and from ski school. Trust me, you want to be CLOSE!!
8) Cover your kids in sunscreen even if it is cloudy and pack lip balm in your child’s ski jacket pocket- their lips get chapped too. Remind them to use it at lunchtime.
9) If your children have their own ski clothes, make sure you try everything on before you pack it to ensure it all still fits… This trip we did not try on The Powder Hounds snowboots and had to make a mad dash to get some new ones on the first day.
10) HAVE FUN- skiing holidays are the BEST family vacations!!
March 24, 2012
School Holidays are on and here are some picks of activities in Sydney to keep you and the kids busy.
If the Royal Easter Show is a bit too much for your little ones, the Sydney Familly Show is the place to go. It is a scaled down version more “small kid” (and mama) friendly. Located at the Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park. Showbags, rides, entertainment, And there are Pastel Bunnies… isn’t that enough to make you want to go?!?!? This show is “just enough” for my 2 and 5 year olds- I would recommend going early in the day if you can. It starts on the 5th of April and runs till the 22nd. Bonus for mama’ is that the Fox Studio Markets (I still call them that even though the whole precinct is the “Entertainment Quarter now) are on too to load up on fresh goodies!
March 23, 2012
The perfect day to start my blog! The first snow has fallen in Australia for the season (sort of…). Mt Buller and Mt Hotham have both had “flurries” overnight! I’m getting excited for the season here and hope it will be awesome. I’ve been planning this blog for a while and am really excited to share some of my experiences with a family who love to ski and board. We don’t live near a ski field, so we have to travel at least 6 hours from our front door to see some white stuff But we love to ski so it never bothers us!
This blog will cover everything that relates to family ski holidays, skiing, snowboarding, travelling with kids, teaching kids to ski, ski and board gear reviews, how to plan a family ski holiday, and all the tips and tricks I’ve learnt as we have travelled the world seeking out fun in the snow.
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