About Nish

I‘ve had snow in my yard since before Christmas.

Crazy, right? I know. Between the intermittent snow storms that keep rolling in, the inversion, and the cold temperatures, the snow around here hasn’t melted in months. We’ve had a couple of warm streaks here and there, but nothing long-lasting enough to make it go away.

It makes going outside a bit of a production. Snow boots, waterproof insulated pants, gloves, hat, warm coats… it’s a lot, especially just to go outside for a quick play session in the middle of the day.

I don’t really mind all that much, but when I need to take my newborn along, it’s a lot to do. I’m a fan of making things as easy and simple as I can, especially where my kids are concerned. Less fuss, the better.

But kids take a lot of effort and the snow requires a lot of gear – and when it comes to gear, what are the best and most important pieces to have, especially for kids under five?
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Written by contributor Nish Weiseth of Nish Happens.

It was chilly and the leaves had turned. The roads were scattered with autumn gold, pumpkins sat on stoops and every restaurant in town had something with “spice” in the names of their daily specials, all written out in chalk on their sandwich boards on the downtown sidewalks.

I saw mothers choosing Halloween costumes, invites for pumpkin carving parties and the corn maze was stuffed to the edges with little ones. We were wearing fleece jackets already.

It was fall, I was expecting my first child in just a month or two, and I absolutely could not wait to do all of the fun fall-themed activities with my child. Out of all the seasons I looked forward to as a mother, fall made the top of the list.

Now that my Rowan is almost three years old, I can safely say that it’s still my favorite time of year as a mother! Here are some of the great outdoor family activities I hope to do this year (and in the years to come) to ring in my favorite season with my kid.
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Written by contributor Nish Weiseth of Nish Happens.

My husband runs a whitewater rafting business and he’s been running rivers his whole life. So, our summers involve a LOT of time outside – rafting, camping, swimming, and playing.

In fact, we never really got a honeymoon – we needed to be on the water as river guides five days after our wedding. The outdoors are a huge piece of our story together and we knew it would always remain that way, even when we started having kids.

We now have a little boy, Rowan – he’s two and a half (oh man, is he two and a half!), and we have another kid (gender TBD) on the way, due in December. With the amount of river miles Rowan has already traveled in his short little lifespan, I’m pretty convinced that he’ll guide guests down Class IV rapids by the time he’s six.

I see you chuckling like I’m joking.

Because of our lifestyle and occupation, spending time outdoors isn’t just something we like to do in our spare time – it’s something that’s required of us, and because of that, it’s required us to induct our kid into this lifestyle, too.

I get asked about taking little kids in the outdoors all the time. What should I expect? What should I pack for the day? How do I do it safely? All of these are legitimate questions.

I’m no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but we’ve taken Rowan hiking, rafting, camping and swimming outside enough times to have a good idea on how to answer the basics.

The thing I love telling parents the most? It’s not as hard as you think. There are obviously going to be some equipment differences depending on your activity, but these are the absolute must-haves for any day trip outside. In other words, don’t leave the house without your backpack filled with these items!
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Written by contributor Nish Weiseth of Nish Happens.

BAM BAM BAM.

Rowan slams his hands on the sliding glass door that leads to the back yard, then turns to smile at me, all bare-toothed and amped. Both dogs are poised on either side of him, ready to join in the fun.

“Okay, bubs. I’m coming.”

I step past the stove and pantry on the cold stone floor and haul our heavy glass door open. My two and a half year-old blows past me in a blur of blonde hair and bare feet. The dogs bound up the hill.

He’s got at least four Matchbox cars on him, one in each hand and two in one of his pockets. I smile after him and lean on the door frame as he makes his way up the small concrete steps to the grass.

This is a regular event in our house – blowing open the back door to get the kid to play outside. No TV, no movies, no over-stimulating toys… just the boy and a couple of cars in the sunshine and dirt.

I can’t lie to you, sometimes, it’s a battle to peel him away from yet another screening of Wall-E in the living room. But, on other days, like today, he’s eager to get up and out.

I leave the door open and go back to the bread dough I left on the kitchen counter. I can see everything from where I stand, so I’m able to keep a watchful eye and ear on any shenanigans or cries for assistance. (Keep in mind that uninterrupted outside time for my child does not mean it’s unsupervised! Safety first and all.)
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