skimama
Family skiing, snowboarding, travel and fun in the snow!

Monthly Archives: April 2012

Super Protein Power Balls

April 30, 2012

Chia seed Power Balls

 

I’m adding a quick recipe here as I just made these for a super quick and healthy snack. There are A LOT of Power Balls/ Raw Brownie/ Protein Ball recipes out there and I love the idea of a  really healthy home made treat for The Powder Hound and Ski Bunny  (they are super fussy eaters.. so anything that packs a nutritional punch gets a big tick from me!).

This recipe is one that is inspired by TableTonic’s  and this amazing raw brownie. They are gluten free, and can be made with anything you have to hand that you think will taste good!! I have made these with a variety of ingredients including sesame seeds, oat bran, LSA…

 

 

 

 

Skimama’s Super Protein Power Balls

2 cups Medjool Dates

1 cup raw almonds

1 cup raw walnuts

¼ cup cacao powder

3 tbs chia seeds

3 tbs pepitas

3 tbs sunflower seeds

3 tbs oat bran

3 tbs protein powder (optional)

3 tbs coconut (optional)

 

Blitz everything in a food processor until moist, you may need to add a tablespoon of warm water to help it blend more easily. Roll into small balls and roll in coconut- again this part is optional, but makes them look a little more appetizing!

 

Refridgerate in an air tight container- they will stay fresh for a week (if they last that long!). These make a super awesome ski-food-snack-on the run too!!

 

 

 

 

Posted by in Cool Kids Stuff, Recipes Tags: , ,

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First Family Ski Holiday… Part 1

April 30, 2012

Family Ski HolidayYour first family trip to the snow is a milestone- no matter how old your kids are. You may or may not be a skiier or boarder yourself, or you may be a passionate snow afficianado. Throw kids into the mix and your on mountain experience will be different to your single days on the slopes. Ask anyone who travels “en famille” for ski holidays and they will, almost without exception, tell you what a fantastic experience it is (and then proceed to tell you where they are planning their next trip to). We have been travelling with our children since they were 6 weeks old, so we love to travel and love to ski- our youngest child (The Ski Bunny) was on the mountain at 3 months and our son The Powder Hound) took his first lesson just before he turned 3. We have taken ski holidays in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and America, and as we gear up for the ski season in the Southern Hemisphere,  I will be sharing some ideas and tips on making your first family ski trip a success!

Amanda Brown, the Director of Children’s Snowsports School at  Hotham Alpine Resort, shares her take on family ski trips with us,

” This is the start of something wonderful even though it may not feel like it at the time. If it’s a new environment for all of you, it can be challenging but there are many helping hand on the mountain to make your trip easier including the snowsports instructors, friendly lift attendants and guest services team members. Talk to friends or check out sites like skimama.com.au for information about what clothes to bring, what layers to wear and how to make your trip fun. Borrow things from friends and remember to package up as many of your holiday elements together as possible such as accommodation, lift tickets, lessons, equipment hire, clothing hire as there are good discounts on packages, especially in value season where you can get up to 50% off holiday packages and Kids Ski Free Deals”.

This week we are going to look at the top ski resorts in Australia and New Zealand- an overview of each one and share some ideas so you can start booking your family ski holiday now!

 

 

 

Posted by in Family ski holidays, Family ski vacations, School Holiday Ideas, Ski Tips, Ski travel tips, Tips for Travel with Kids, Uncategorized Tags:

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Range Rover Evoque- By Victoria Beckham

April 23, 2012

Heading to the snow just got a whole lot more stylish with the release of the new Range Rover Evoque Special Edition by Victoria Beckham today at the Beijing Motor Show.   This is a sexy car- seriously.   With a hand finished “stealth grey” exterior and rose gold highlights on the signature Ranger Rover Grille, you know it will be special.  VBEvoque Range Rover Land Rover Australia

The interior is all caramel leather luxury with hand stitched finishes and mohair floor rugs- I think I may want to move in to this car.

Victoria Beckham Evoque Range Rover Land Rover

I love this skylight, and the light it brings to the interior… imagine watching the snow fall through this.

 

Victoria Beckham Ranger Rover

The vehicle is a four-seat coupé, powered by the lightweight, all-aluminium 240PS 2.0-litre petrol engine and features four-wheel drive with Land Rover’s award-winning Terrain Response system. And making it even MORE perfect for you next ski trip, it comes with a 4 piece Victoria Beckham Luggage set.. for all your ski kit.  Range Rover Victoria Beckham

You will need to look at roof racks as they don’t come standard issue, but the team at Land Rover Australia  have assured me they have this covered with the Ski and Snowboard Carrier as an extra accessory.

A gorgeous ad by acclaimed photographer, Nick Knight has also been produced to celebrate the release, you can view it here

This special release  is going to be limited to just 200 vehicles worldwide. Land Rover in Australia have not announced if we will see the car here in Australia… if the demand is high enough I’m SURE they will bring in a few…. and I WILL be putting my hand up to give it a test run to Thredbo!! (Please note, the vehicle does not come equipped with your own David Beckham, I believe he is an optional extra)

 

 

Posted by in Family ski holidays, Ski travel tips Tags: , ,

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Sky High Hair- Ski hair heroes.

April 18, 2012

No, I’m not talking about the high, high hair they favour in Texas (which I do secretly love…)  I’m talking about the challenges of a “good hair day” while skiing and in the mountains. Let’s face it, when you spend the day with a helmet on your head (and I really do hope you do!!) and with very little humidity in the air… having luscious, bouncy hair can be a little tough. Especially if you have hair like mine which is fine, dry and tends to got static in an instant.Ski Hairstyles

I have a few products that I love and have been using on my most recent ski holiday.   First up all my new faves are by O&M,  an Australian organic hair company whose products have no nasty things and  smell like caramel and vanilla … oh so good.  I’ve been using O&M Hydrate and Conquer shampoo and conditioner for over a year now. They have a range of shampoo’s and conditioners, but for my fine, dry hair this one works a treat. It has all sorts of goodness- amino acids and minerals … did I mention it smells really good???

Next up is the O&M 7 day Miracle – this is a super hydrating masque, you are supposed to use it once a week for coloured or damaged hair but at altitude, I used it every 2 or 3 days- it really made a difference.  It has macadamia seed oil and argan oil which are both super hydrating.

My secret weapon on the slopes however is also a SUPERSTAR product- yes, Rachel Zoe loves this one too!!!  It has the very Australian name of “Rootalicious” and it is a lightweight mousse.  I was terrified of using a mousse on my hair… The last time I did was in the 90′s when it made your hair crunchy and I was wearing bubble skirts.  So I had been resistent for a long time… I need not have been- this is new school mousse- it is fluffy and light and now they are called “volumisers”. After a day of wearing a helmet, this was perfect for tranforming my hair into something a little more glam.  And just in case you were wondering my usual ski hair style is swept into a low ponytail under my helmet or in a plait, easy and low maintenance.   I often twist my hair into a bun too, so I have some pretty waves at the end of the day. For me, a ski holiday is about low maintenance beauty,  I’m busy wrangling kids and  wanting to get lots of turns in, but I still like to look good so these products really help!

Oh, and  in case you were wondering.. big hair IS big for the next season… if the latest Moncler Fall/Winter 2012 show is anything to go by……Ski Hair

Posted by in Apres Ski, Ski fashion, Ski Holiday Packing, Ski Tips, Winter Beauty Tags: , , , , , ,

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Very French Gangsters; sunglasses for cool kids

April 14, 2012

These are possibly the coolest kids sunglasses I’ve seen. Your own little Ski Bunny or Powder Hound could rock these on the slopes for an uber cool apres ski look…. The new French brand, “Very French Gangsters” has just released an awesome collection of kids glasses and sunnies…. I want a pair myself..   They are available in selected boutiques in France and online at littlefashiongallery. They do not seem to be shipping anywhere else right now… but I will keep you posted if it changes.. Perfect excuse for an Alps ski vacation…..

Chic French Children

For the Ski Bunny

For the Powder Hound

Ski sunglasses

Posted by in Apres Ski, Cool Kids Stuff, Ski fashion, Tips for Travel with Kids Tags: , , , , ,

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Vail: Why its awesome for families

April 12, 2012

VailVail is one of those awesome resorts that make skiing as a family easy- well as easy as it is going to get for a skiier, a boarder, a ski mad 5 year old and a busy,busy 2 year old.  Here are some things we loved and some tips for those considering a ski vacation there.  First thing is to decide where you are going to stay, as  you will need to consider how you get around the village with children.  Vail is very compact and there is a fantastic free shuttle that runs constantly around the village, however just bear in mind that the main children’s ski school and nursery is in Golden Peak so if you have small children who you plan to have spend time in the nursery/childcare, this is where you will be headed each day. There is another children’s ski school based at Lionshead so this is another option for children who will just be taking ski/boarding lessons. Both have EXCELLENT teaching staff.

Each morning,  one of the Vail mascots, Riperoo, was outside ski school to greet children arriving. Getting a cuddle from Riperoo was a highlight for our children each day. There is a Ski Concierge to take the children’s skis located at the front door, which is a great feature. We booked our ski school tickets and lessons online before we arrived- this made checking in each day a breeze.

On our last visit, we stayed in Lionshead which is super convenient to virtually everything in Vail- we took a shuttle to drop the children off on days when they were in ski school,  and we were able to walk to the Eagle Bahn gondala and restaurants, cafes, bars and shopping in Lionshead Square.

One of our favorite things to do on holiday is eat out as a family- everyone is more relaxed and even the Ski Bunny (2) seems to be on best behaviour.

A few favorite family friendly spots to eat in Vail

Blue Moose: yummy apres ski pizza- super quick service, paper on the tables & crayons to keep the kids busy (there is one in Beaver Creek too) The Vonnderful Pizza was created by Lindsay Vonn herself!  Some local boutique Colorado beers kept The Boarder happy along with our favourite pizza- The Cowboy.

Tavern on the Square: Fantastic brunch daily and a fun early apres spot for families- it is the best spot to sit and watch those taking in the last runs of the day  and catch the last rays of sun.

The 10th:  This is a beautiful spot mid mountain for a more sophisticated lunch with the family (French Fries with Truffle salt… yes please!!). They do a fantastic children’s menu and in the mornings, it is a beautiful spot for hot chocolates and pastries.

Make sure you sign up for Vail Resorts fantastic loyalty programme- Peak Points- where you can earn points for accommodation, lift tickets, lessons and more. You can also charge on mountain purchases direct to your card  Your family points are accrued together and you can redeem them for lift, lessons and more on your next visit. You can earn points at all Vail Resort mountains.

I will be doing a more detailed post on the Vail Ski School experience soon so keep an eye out for that it you are wondering what to expect on your first visit.

I hope you find some ideas to get your started thinking about your next Vail holiday.   Vail season passes are on sale now for 2012-2013…. GREAT excuse to book your trip NOW!!

Posted by in Apres Ski, Family ski holidays, Family ski vacations, School Holiday Ideas, Ski travel tips, Tips for Travel with Kids Tags: , , , , ,

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Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

April 12, 2012

So you probably have some leftover Easter chocolate in the house (What! You ate all yours too?!?!?) OR have some chocolate ready to go in your pantry. So drumroll please… I present,  The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe… How is this related to skiing you may ask??? Well this little baby is the Beaver Creek Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe- the one they serve at 3pm each day… when you really need it after a day on the slopes… and they are good, really, really good- This is the recipe devised by Shannon Bostrom who won this year’s competition to select the recipe that would be served all season.  So as we are on school holidays here, I busted out the KitchenAid to whip some up with the Powder Hound and the Ski Bunny…. we may not be at BC but we can have a little “Cookie Time” here.

 

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

“The Chunk”

Recipe: Shannon Bostrom

(please note, I’ve had to adjust it slightly for what I had on hand too- these are noted in brackets)

Ingredients:
1 stick Butter (125 grams)
1/2 cup Shortening (I used butter )
1/2 cup granulated sugar (White Sugar)
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 egg
2 1/8 cup Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 bag Milk Chocolate Bits (350 grams)
6 oz. Chopped Unsweetened Bakers Chocolate (170 grams) (leftover Easter Egg Chocolate if  you fancy!)

Cream butter, shortening and sugars

Add egg and vanilla

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt

Stir this into creamed butter/sugar

Stir in chocolate

Drop spoonfuls on to a lined tray

Bake at 375F/ (180 C) degrees for 12-14 minutes.

Attempt to not eat all of them in one sitting.

 

The Boarder better hurry home from work tonight.. as there MAY not be any left…..

 

Posted by in Apres Ski, Recipes, School Holiday Ideas Tags: , ,

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Easter Holiday Fun at Altitude

April 2, 2012

The Easter School Holidays are here and while there is no snow in the Southern Hemisphere, there is SERIOUS snow in parts of the US and Canada- Oh yes Whistler and Tahoe.. I’m talking about you!!.  However, there is still fun to be had in the Victorian and NSW Ski Fields… I’ve put together a list of some fun in the mountains for families in Australia over the long weekend.  Check back to tomorrow to find out what is happening in the US in April for families!

Lindt Bunny from Pinterest

Falls Creek; Will host the annual Easter Long weekend activity- think Easter Egg Hunts, Chairlift rides… and I’ve heard there are some FAB bargains at the ski sales there.

Mt Buller: You can work off the chocolate you are going to eat the next day… with the Mountain High Fun Runs (3.2km, 5.7km and 8.9km) starting 9.30am Easter Saturday. Undo all the good work with the Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday starting at 11.30am

Dinner Plain: The HIgh Country Easter Festival is on- Easter Egg Hunts, Bouncy Castles (hopefully this is not a bad match…), This is a weekend for everyone- trail walks and entertainment all weekend including the annual Geebung Polo Club “Cuffs & Collars” match.

Thredbo: Kids club activities are held throughout the holidays- torchlight walks through the wilds… Bookings are a must.

If you can’t make it to the mountains, there are still some great activities for kids at home these holidays….

Design a T shirt for Mt Hotham Competition- perfect for the creative kids or skimama’s and dads! Winner gets $1000 to spend at Hotham AND their design printed on a T Shirt .. Sharpen your pencils people!!

Perisher have teamed up with Analog Clothing for an epic competion- “Design an Unlikely Feature”.. create the ultimate park feature and have Perisher create it for the 2012 season  Design It, Win It, they will Build It!!  I think this will involve more than pencils and need some swanky design software… For bigger kids!!

I’ll be posting more holiday ideas over the next few weeks so stay tuned for when you kids let you know… “I’m BORED mama!!”   Follow us on Twitter  and Facebook for up to the minute news and ideas too!

Posted by in Family ski holidays, Family ski vacations, School Holiday Ideas, Uncategorized Tags: , , , ,

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School Holiday Road Trip- Kids Rule OK?!?! Skimama’s top 10 tips

April 1, 2012

Easter School Holidays will soon be here and many Australian families will be hitting the road for an extended break. We have done road trips with our children from when they were tiny babies, the longest was a road trip from Sydney to Byron Bay- around 9 hours. I have always loved a road trip… but things are a little different with a car load of young children, surfboards, prams, travel cots… you get the picture!  I still love them, but they do take a little more planning and patience.  With technology today, it is easy to hand your children and IPad or DVD player and let them zone out for the trip, however, I like to encourage the kids to not rely on technology and embrace the roadtrip!   So some travel tips I’ve found that work!

1) Pack a little travel bag of “surprises”: Some mini ziploc bags of snacks, a small toy, an Evian spray (this is a big hit in our family), a mini torch, a notebook and new pen, a new toothbrush for the holiday… anything that they can unwrap, play with and discover will keep them happy. I love little “kits” of any kind- amenity kits on planes, little beauty samples, so enjoy putting these kits together for the trip.

2) Eye Spy:  an oldie but a goodie. Make it easy and use colours instead of letters-”I spy with my little eye something that is green…”

3) Kids Music:  there are some kids cd’s out there that you too can enjoy!!  Justine Clarke is a goodie, Jack Johnson is a fave in our car – let them play DJ for a while

4) Audio Books: this is ideal for children over the age of about 3, as they are better able to follow a story. Top Picks: Paddington as read by Stephen Fry, The Cat in the Hat with John Cleese, Kelsey Grammar and more and for older children; Harry Potter read (again) by Stephen Fry.

4) Sticker books: Best $2 you will ever spend. I bought each child a book of 1000 tiny stickers and they kept our two year old entertained for a decent amount of time (I’d like to say hours but I would, be lying)

5) Spot the Cow: First person to see a …. cow…. fire engine… the beach…. Make a list of things you expect to see and “remind” the kids when there may be one coming up.

6) Etch a Sketch: loved these as a child and they are great as there are no parts to drop on the floor and no pens to get on upholstery!!

7) Pipe Cleaner Creations:  A $2 packet of pipe cleaners can provide some great fun- twist them into letters, monsters, houses, you name! These are good for children 2 years and older.

8) Don’t bring toys with small parts- I can assure you that reaching round to pick up pieces from the back seat gets VERY tiresome.

9) Pack a bag for the front seat with toys, baby wipes, spare nappies, change of clothes for each child (nothing worse than having to unpack a suitcase to find a change of clothes for the child who spilt their water bottle on themselves….)

10) Enjoy the trip- stop along the way and have a picnic, try and make the car journey part of the holiday not just something to endure.

Posted by in School Holiday Ideas, Tips for Travel with Kids Tags: , , ,

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