There is something about snow and cold that makes me want to drink lots of coffee, hot cocoa, and make the largest breakfasts that I’ve ever eaten. Looking out from my breakfast room at the dozens of birds at the bird feeder over the last 48 hours (and 29 inches of snow), I get why the birds are plump – they have to survive the cold. Me? I’m warm and cozy inside except for walking the dog and two days of constant shoveling, which by the way, is fantastic exercise, but not at all “fun”.

“Mom, I’m bored,” declared my seven year old this morning. “Will you come and watch me play Wii?” That soooo didn’t sound like fun to me, so I politely declined and suggested we sled together outside. “I’ve been shoveling for two days,” I said.  “Now I want to play.” Over two days, the boys played in the snow while we shoveled, but we had not yet played outside together.

While the boys finished watching Sponge Bob, I declared, “Come outside when the show is over; I’m going out now to get the sledding run ready.” There is an art to the perfect sledding run, which is really never finished and is so fun for my boys and I to aspire to “finish.”

I walked outside, snow up to my knees, and it was a physical effort just to get to the sledding run 20 feet away, which we started before there was over two feet of snow on the ground. The sledding run is not big, maybe 50 feet long on a gradual slope leading to trees, and we had built up a ramp only two feet tall.

Finally reaching the sledding ramp, I was going to have my work cut out for me. First, I had to find the sleds that got left outside under two feet of snow.  Oops. But, the boys soon joined me and finding them became a treasure hunt. Second, I attempted to go down our run – now buried in two feet of snow – and I immediately sank two feet. Because I could barely walk in the snow, I literally crawled 50 feet through the snow to start packing down the snow. This may sound absolutely horrible, but I was laughing hysterically the whole time and finally collapsed at the end of the run and turned on my back, just gazing up at the large white oaks covered in white.

And then, once I finally got the sled half-way down the run, I had to lay on the sled on my stomach and start “swimming” with my arms, scooping the snow out of my way to continue forward. I could have sworn I was doing the butterfly (which I have never been able to do in the swimming pool), and suddenly I didn’t feel guilty for not having officially “worked out” in two weeks.

So who needs a treadmill?  Just start acting like a kid, and play in the snow. Just remember to keep a water bottle with you; you’ll need it.

Rebecca P. Cohen is the author of the upcoming book, 365 Days Outside: A Mother’s Journey to Improve the Well-being of Her Family and Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to spend more time outside together. Rebecca is also creator and producer of the television series, Get Out of the House, inspiring you to create memorable moments outside every day. To learn more, visit http://www.rebeccaplants.com.

Copyright 2010

Rebecca Plants LLC

You’d think that when my kids had so much fun last night after I forced them to walk the dog with me, that they would be excited this morning to do it again. Nope. As I explained to them yesterday, my rule is “When everyone is well, Mommy doesn’t walk the dog by herself. One or both of you has to come with me.” Yes, this is a rule, in part, because I want to get my kids outside and in part that it’s their responsibility to their pet. And it works.

Yesterday, after my older son fussed “It’s not fair!” countless times and when I said he had no choice, he headed out the door and brought his football with him. Instantly, he had a grand time, tossing the ball back and forth with his brother and me while we walked. We even picked up a neighbor who came with us, and the kids had a 45-minute outdoor play date, running around with the football and in the snow. I got the dog walked, the kids exercised and happy, and I didn’t even have to provide snacks or dinner for the play date!

Back to this morning. My younger son, who is five years old, volunteered to come with me to walk the dog. We suited up in our snow gear, which always takes a little while – but it’s worth it. He brought along a small bouncy ball and proceeded to kick it back and forth with me on the walk. Half way around the neighborhood, where the road dead ends and you’re forced to turn left, there is a patch of woods on the right. “Mom, can you watch my ball for me?” my son asked, turning as if to walk away. “Sure,” I said. “But where are you going?” “I want to check out something over there.” he replied confidently. “OK,” I said nervously. The direction he was going in had many obstacles in his path: large boulders moved by construction bulldozers, tree debris, and even some pipes. He found a walking stick and worked his way around the obstacles to a patch of 10’ x 10’ shallow ice that his brother and the neighbor found the night before.

About 50 yards away from me, he got to work. Doing what? I have no idea, but he was very focused and it seemed he was in his own world. I sat on a mound of snow likely left by a snowplow earlier in the week and just sat and watched him. Snow was falling, and I savored a peaceful moment, in awe at his comfort, curiosity, and confidence. After 10 minutes, he looked up and stretched out his arm for a big, happy wave to me, and then resumed his work. After another 10 minutes, he shouted, “Okay Mom, now it’s your turn!”

I walked toward him unsure of what was going to happen next. “Mom, I’m going to take you on an adventure,” he said smiling and turned to walk in a direction we had never gone before, straight up a 25-foot-high mound of dirt. I followed him, but I said hesitantly, “I don’t really like this,” in a way that meant I was scared and unsure rather than ‘this is dangerous and we can’t do this.’ “It’s going to be great Mom, you’ll see. I’m going to show you something amazing.” And with the confidence of a great mountain explorer, he hiked up the rocky, unsettled and frozen dirt hill with small patches of grass and likely many hibernating critters (there were lots of holes). He checked the firmness of the ground with his stick before he took each step and led a crooked path to the top. Looking in the distance and smiling, he said, “Look at this view!” It was a cool view – certainly higher than we’ve stood before in our neighborhood, looking out onto a wooded area. He explored the top of the dirt hill for a minute and then he said, “Now to go back down, which I’m not sure how to do, but we’ll find a way.” “Why don’t we go back the way we came?” I asked. And he replied, with his face showing me he was figuring it out, “You can’t always do things the same way.”

Coming back down the hill, I was done exploring, but my son was clearly just beginning. “Come on Mom, let’s continue our hike! Can we have a picnic today? It feels like it’s been a long time.” I really had no excuse for needing to go back home; today is a school snow day as the Washington, D.C. area anticipates 1-2 feet of snow. We were suited up in our snow gear, warm, and the falling snow was beautiful. The fresh air and exercise was not only good for my son, it was good for me too. I clearly was exercising the limits of my comfort zone for new experiences, which is not a bad thing.

Walking home, my son declared, “Well I’m staying outside all day, and nothing can stop me. There are a million, quadrillion, crillion, billion things to do outside. You can watch TV for hours and then be bored. Why not go outside and have fun?”

So go have fun outside today, no matter where you may be.

Rebecca P. Cohen is the author of the upcoming book, 365 Days Outside: A Mother’s Journey to Improve the Well-being of Her Family and Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to spend more time outside together. Rebecca is also creator and producer of the television series, Get Out of the House, inspiring you to create memorable moments outside every day. To learn more, visit http://www.rebeccaplants.com.

Copyright 2010

Rebecca Plants LLC

“Rebecca, you have to see this before the sun comes up,” said my husband as I lay under the warm and toasty covers. I willed myself out of comfort, and sure enough, it was an amazing site. All I could see was the outline of trees completely covered in white, powdery snow as far as the eye could see. I stared in awe for a moment.

“Mommmmmmmmmmmmm!” my seven year-old cried. “My head huuuuuuuuuuurts!” which pulled me back into my morning mom duties. “School has been cancelled,” my husband said. “I have a busy day; I’m going to go ahead and get on the road.” And as if it had been an instant, he was gone to work.

“Warner, stop!” my seven year-old yelled to his five year-old brother.” “You stop!” he yelled back. All I could think about were the business-related items that I wanted to get done, and well, since returning home from a business trip seven days ago on a red eye, I have been caring for my sick older son, who had a persistent 102 fever and splitting headache for seven days. I had a momentary pity-party for myself – there are far worse things that could have happened and there is far more suffering in other places that put the situation into perspective. Upon taking my older son’s temperature, it was finally normal, and I breathed a sigh of relief. He is ok.

As he lay on the couch watching TV, calling over to me to get the remote for him that was on the coffee table two feet from his body, I said, “you are going to have to practice being well today. You’ve gotten too used to feeling bad.” Yesterday, I prematurely took him on a walk to pick up his younger brother from school and his fever went back up, so I knew he wasn’t faking his lethargy. “I’m just tired,” he said.

Upon hearing a noise, I turned to the window to see a neighbor using his snow blower to clear our driveway. What an amazingly kind gesture. I was about to take blueberry muffins out of the oven (don’t worry, I’m not that perfect; I keep quick boxed mixes on hand for warm muffins on snowy days), and my younger son and I suited up in snow gear to take some out to him to say thank you.

As soon as I stepped outside with my younger son and the dog, I looked up, and it was as if my lungs magically opened up with a cleansing breath that balanced the breath-taking view that was in front of me. While I saw that the trees were beautiful an hour earlier, there was nothing like stepping outside to experience it. And with the sight of powdery snow everywhere, my cares and worries were gone – just like that.

So, while the Washington Post has an article today about how local residents have had enough of the four snowstorms this season, I say, “bring it on.” Because most tasks we think we need to race to likely aren’t as important as taking a moment to breath deep, experience the beauty around us, and practice being well.

And when my younger son and I got back from walking the dog, my seven year-old had gotten his snow gear on, ready to go out and play.

Rebecca P. Cohen is the author of the upcoming book, 365 Days Outside: A Mother’s Journey to Improve the Well-being of Her Family and Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to spend more time outside together. For Rebecca’s Curiosity Cards, a set of 50 portable question and activity cards for fun family time outside, visit http://www.rebeccaplants.com/cards.asp

Copyright 2010

Rebecca Plants LLC

Sometimes it is hard to take that first step to bundle up in winter and walk out the door, but once we do, my kids and I inevitably start warming up and peeling off the layers.  In fact, we enjoy many of the same games we do when it’s warm outside: tag, soccer, or playing catch while we walk the dog.  Check out all my tips for winter family fun in the article, Get Your Family Outdoors.

2009 has been a great year for my family, and simply because I made the decision to have an outdoor experience with them every day, whether simply walking to school, visiting a nearby pond, or bundling up to see the winter night sky.  As a result, I’ve literally spent 365 days outside with my family; what an amazing feeling, and reason for me to celebrate this month.

Celebrate your outdoor memories and think of how to bring more of those moments into your every day life.  It’s a lot easier than we sometimes think.  For example, if you have an infant, you may be worried that you can’t get outside with them in winter.  Check out http://www.rookiemoms.com/take-a-cold-weather-power-walk-with-baby/.  I wish I had Heather’s advice when I was a new mom!

How do you make the most of winter outside where you live?

Rebecca P. Cohen is Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to be outside and improve their well being. Mark your calendar for December 17^th at 10:30a.m. EST and join Rebecca for her 30-minute radio program “Get Out of the House” on Diva Toolbox radio, where you’ll take a virtual vacation: guests and callers from around the country will share their favorite ways to get outside for the holidays. Rebecca’s January 21st show at 10:30a.m. EST will be about staying active outside, even when it’s cold and dark.  Get to know Rebecca, and get out of the house!

Copyright 2009 Rebecca Plants LLC

Two years ago, I started a family tradition of doing something outside with everyone together for the holidays. Each year, I propose a different activity, and we create memories together: grandparents, aunts, uncles, and grandkids.

In 2007, ten of us went on a walk after our Christmas meal. We drove to a nature trail near a lake, and spent an hour or two exploring the sunny and snow-free, but very crisp winter day. Most of the group got to witness an awesome surprise: a bald eagle taking off from a tree by the water ten feet in front of them. My younger sister and her husband are avid bird watchers, and it was their first bald eagle.

Last year, I took twelve of us on our first fishing trip for Thanksgiving, and it was a complete surprise to everyone. I have to admit I was worried with this surprise: it was a very cold and windy day, but each person got into the experience in different and wonderful ways. We made our own fishing poles out of bamboo harvested the day before from my mother-in-law’s backyard. My younger sisters liked making the fishing poles, I loved learning how to put a hook, weight, and bobber on a fishing line, and my parents really enjoyed visiting with everyone while we fished. The kids seemed to enjoy every bit of it, especially digging for worms and having hot chocolate while we waited for the fish to bite.

This year? I’m inviting all the kids in the neighborhood for a Thanksgiving morning game of kickball with warm muffins and hot cocoa. My boys are always waiting all day for their aunts, uncles, and grandparents to arrive, and getting the kids up and out with their friends will help pass the time while the adults get the turkey ready to go in the oven. I imagine it will help my neighbors and their kids too.

Whether it’s the same outdoor tradition every year or trying something new, getting outside is a great way to give one another space to breathe some fresh air and discover another way to spend time together that will give each of you memories to last a lifetime. And by the way, do you think I knew how to fish before I took all of us? Nah, I knew someone in the group would know how to do it, and sure enough, he taught us all.

Rebecca P. Cohen is Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to be outside and improve their well being. Mark your calendar for December 17^th at 10:30a.m. EST and join Rebecca for her 30-minute radio program “Get Out of the House” on Diva Toolbox radio, where you’ll take a virtual vacation: guests and callers from around the country will share their favorite ways to get outside for the holidays.

Copyright 2009 Rebecca Plants LLC

I opened my eyes one morning to a gentle light streaming through the window and beautiful shadows on the wall. I went to the kitchen, made a cup of coffee, and stepped outside. Seeing my breath in the air, I looked on the ground and saw our first frost covering the grass and leaves.

My five year old knocked on the window for me to come inside. “It’s cold!” he said. But soon enough, he was dressed and came out to join me. A few minutes later, I turned my head to see he had found the snow shovel and was winding his way through the frost, making a track.

With colder temperatures and shorter days come sunrises that slowly appear where previously blocked by leaves. As I started to notice the sunrises and show my two young boys, they’d start to notice too and would run into my bedroom in the morning, softly saying, “Mom, come see the beautiful sunrise!

I’ve always appreciated the sun, especially as the temperatures drop. Sunshine warms our days and provides for picture perfect scenes with my family. Even my dog has found a new sunny spot in the house to relax where the sunlight now streams into the house in the morning.

But just as I love to watch the sunrise on a beach once or twice a year, late fall and winter bring a gift to watch the sunrise every day. Whether watching from the window or stepping outside together, witnessing nature waking up provides a lot of conversation and is a great way to start the day.

Rebecca P. Cohen is Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to be outside and improve their well being. Mark your calendars for Thursday, November 19^th at 10:30EST for Rebecca’s next radio show, Get Out of the House, where callers will share favorite multigenerational ways to get outside for the holidays. http://www.rebeccaplants.com.

Copyright 2009 Rebecca Plants LLC

I always say that planting spring-flowering bulbs in the fall is one of the easiest family planting activities ever. And, I usually wait until November to plant them.

There are several reasons I wait to plant bulbs until November. First and foremost, there are fewer other activities catching my attention with the weather not as nice. The colorful mums have already been planted, apples picked, and the hectic pace prior to Halloween is over. Second, the bulbs like the cooler temperatures, typically in the 50s and 60s when I plant them. As long as the ground isn’t frozen, you can plant spring-flowering bulbs too.

Third, the act of planting bulbs is somewhat anticlimactic because there is no instant gratification – but planting bulbs is so simple – and the reward in the spring, when the green leaves start to peak from the cold ground, so exciting for the kids and the adults. And who doesn’t love fresh-cut flowers inside the house in the spring?

There are three ways to plant bulbs. First, pick a spot in your entry way or from an often-seen window. Simply dig a trench a few inches deep and scatter a whole bag of mixed bulbs – early to late spring blooming – in the trench. Do a quick check and point as many bulbs root-side down as you can. The rest will find their way. The second option for bulb planting is to dig holes in between existing plantings. I placed a combination of four different deer-resistant varieties side-by-side in each hole to get the maximum result for each hold dug: white daffodil, purple grape hyacinth, white leucojum, and pink wood hyacinth. If you don’t have a yard, do not worry, you can have bulbs too – plant them in a flower pot and keep them on the stoop or balcony. With pansies overtop, the bulbs will sprout right through in the spring.

Along with the bulbs, I’ll find time in the next week or so to sneak in planting three black raspberry shrubs into the vegetable garden for the kids to have their very own “pick your own” experience out back. It’s a great time to call the local nursery to see what may be on sale that you’ve always wanted to have in your garden.

With the leaves largely off the trees – or rapidly blowing away – November is a wonderful time to find yourself enjoying “past leaf peak” time outside with your family, planting bulbs, and cultivating some more happiness for the spring.

Rebecca P. Cohen is Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to be outside and improve their well being. Mark your calendars for Thursday, November 19th at 10:30EST for Rebecca’s next radio show, Get Out of the House, where callers will share favorite multigenerational ways to get outside for the holidays. http://www.rebeccaplants.com.

Copyright 2009 Rebecca Plants LLC

With all of the fun fall weekend activities, sometimes we forget about the many ways during the week to get our kids outside. There are rituals that we can start with our kids, if you haven’t already, that squeeze in time outside even with our busy schedules.

Walking or biking to school is a wonderful way to have outside time before school. Just bundle up with a warm jacket and gloves; don’t forget to adjust your helmet to fit a hat underneath, and you’re ready for some exercise on your way to and from school.

If walking or biking isn’t possible, consider letting the kids eat breakfast outside and have at least 15 minutes to play when they get ready quickly. Sometimes the promise of outside play time is all the motivation my kindergartener and second grader need to dress, make lunch, and ensure their bag is ready to go in a flash.

Of course there is after school time as well, which can be hard too depending on how much homework and after school activities kids have, or how dark it is when you get home. Keep a blanket in the car for spontaneous picnic dinners; drive by the park on the way home; let the kids do their homework outside. I even invite a friend or two over for homework time – it actually helps my kids fuss less about doing their work, and then they have more time to play outside.

A nighttime walk can take more motivation for all of us at times, but with a dog in the family, I make sure everyone comes with me when we walk him. And with flashlights and glowsticks in hand, we have fun watching the creatures that come out at night. Together, we see more starry skies too.

With our kids, let’s continue to think creatively about the things we do every day, and ask ourselves if some of our routine can be done outside.

Rebecca P. Cohen is Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to be outside and improve their well being. For Rebecca’s Curiosity Cards, a set of 50 portable question and activity cards for fun family time, visit http://www.rebeccaplants.com.

Copyright 2009 Rebecca Plants LLC

We’ve started the s’more roasting in Virginia. With last week’s temperatures in the 40s and feeling like December, my kids and I welcomed a beautiful fall Wednesday evening this week by walking the dog, watching bats at dusk, collecting kindling for the fire and then roasting a s’more. “Look up!” said my seven year-old, pointing to the stars.

It was a perfectly clear and comfortable evening, just like for our last backyard campout in June. The success of the event for the kids led us to camping down the street in July for our first overnight away from home, and then in August, we had an overnight camp out in the West Virginia mountains.

It’s about time for another backyard campout, I thought. My first backyard campout was last March, on a cold Friday night when my four year-old begged me to sleep out back with him. Then, he wanted to sleep in the tent on Saturday night too. Nursing my sore back from a too-thin sleeping bag pad that somehow ended up on a tree root, I informed my husband that it was his turn to sleep outside.

We had subsequent backyard campouts before June 28^th, when the National Wildlife Federation filmed my backyard campout. I invited two girlfriends, their kids, and my mom to join us for a “moms and kids only” campout. NWF’s Dave Mezejewski took us on a nature walk, and the kids spent hours outside, hanging on until almost bedtime before they had their s’mores.

With the launch of the National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There campaign, let’s join together and continue to be the amazing influence in our neighborhoods and communities that inspires all families to get their kids outside.

Rebecca P. Cohen is Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to be outside and improve their well being. Mark your calendars for Thursday, November 19^th at 10:30EST for Rebecca’s next radio show, Get Out of the House, where callers will share favorite multigenerational ways to get outside for the holidays. http://www.rebeccaplants.com.

Copyright 2009 Rebecca Plants LLC

On a recent Sunday, one might have thought the cloudy conditions and possibility of rain a better bet for a movie than apple picking, but that didn’t stop my husband, sons, and I from forging ahead. We invited my sister along for the ride, and my kids couldn’t have been happier to spend time with their aunt.

With a friend in tow too and a simple picnic lunch of sandwiches and drinks packed in the back, the six of us made our way to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains to an orchard I found on the internet. We got to drive to a spot on the mountain to settle in for our picnic and picking. There was something inspiring about so many apples on each tree, a natural abundance that made me want to have my own apple tree to “pick my own” out back.

Immediately, the boys started picking apples, plucking them from the tree and climbing sturdy branches to reaches apples higher up. We picked green apples from the first tree, then red from the next. We took breaks here and there to experience the taste of a fresh apple, and then the boys began to explore.

They ran off with their aunt, who happily led them through the orchard to look at the view of the mountains and then to watch a herd of cows. They saw butterflies and grasshoppers and upon return my seven year-old exclaimed, “Look, a swallowtail!”

We headed back to pay our $4.00 for a bag of apples (and I couldn’t resist some fresh cider and apple butter too) and then passed a sign on the way out with an arrow pointing left for “Raspberries.” We stopped again, and picked (and ate) our first fresh raspberries and promised the kids we’d put raspberries in our garden.

Last year, my husband didn’t go with us apple picking. This year, the kids said he couldn’t miss it. So he came with us, had a great time, and even made it back in time to watch some football.

Rebecca P. Cohen is Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to be outside and improve their well being. Mark your calendars for Thursday, November 19^th at 10:30EST for Rebecca’s next radio show, Get Out of the House, where callers will share favorite multigenerational ways to get outside for the holidays. http://www.rebeccaplants.com.

Copyright 2009 Rebecca Plants LLC