by Allison

Skiing with kids for the first time

–This giveaway is now closed.  The winner is: Suzanne Crunchy Green Mom–

We’re an active family.  We just are.  There’s not any help for it, so I’ve just embraced it.  My husband can’t sit still, and my kids are genetically programmed to be like him, happiest while in motion.  There is one sport I fought for years though: skiing.

skiing with kids for the first time

I didn’t grow up skiing; it’s just not economically feasible for a family with 8 kids {outside the Kennedy family} to ski on a regular basis, even though I grew up in the mountains of Utah next to some of the world’s best skiing.  Plus?  I really hate Winter.  I’d rather curl up with a handful of good novels and a heating pad than bomb down the mountain.

Or so I thought.

When Charming was old enough to walk, and say a handful of words, we put him on a pair of skis.  He’s been an outrageously active kid from the word go, and I decided in an effort to channel that wildness somewhere, skiing was the way to go.  At least to get us through the winter.  This came on the heels of one too many days of my chubby little baby removing his toddler bed mattress to “mattress surf” down the stairs in our house.

skiing with kids

As it turns out, skis were as natural to him as walking.

His first skis were approximately 18 inches long, with the cutest pair of baby ski boots you’ve ever seen, and as long as we allowed Charming to keep his binkie in his mouth, he was happy as a clam.  Red faced and cold, he flew down the mountain, all two feet of him.

skiing

Now that the kids are older we have season passes to Park City Mountain Resort, and ski as often as humanly possible.  The kids are happy, we get to hang out for a handful of extra hours together on our way up the canyon, and everyone is completely tired at the end of the day, ready to sleep the kind of exhausted sleep you can only have after a day of superhuman activity.

So in the end, skiing  is a win-win-win situation for our family.

Psssst.  This is a giveaway.  Salonpas is giving away ONE $200 American Express Gift Card to one of you.  Nice!  You can use the money to fund your own outdoor winter adventure.

Giveaway Details:

  1. To enter the Salonpas giveaway, send out a tweet, answering the question: “What is your favorite winter activity and why?” along with the #Salonpas hashtag.
  2. Giveaway ends next Monday February 28th at Midnight MST.  The giveaway winner will be announced on this post on Tuesday March 1st.
  3. If you want to Like Salonpas on Facebook, you’ll get another entry into the giveaway.

—

This post was sponsored by Salonpas which is an analgesic pain patch.  I happen to be a big huge fan of pain patches, especially when I ski.  You know how it went down with my skiing accident? Yes, well.

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Allison

Hello there! I'm Allison Czarnecki, founder + editor of Petit Elefant, a blog all about style on a budget for every part of your life: style / home / travel / family. I do a lot of how-to beauty + style tutorials, travel posts, easy recipes, home remodel projects, and cool DIY crafts you totally want to try. I'm super happily married (to a hot Polish immigrant) and am the mother of two kids, a daughter and son, all of whom are featured here on the regular. We live in the country but we're a little bit rock + roll. Welcome!

93 Comments

  1. lorchick :

    I just cannot bring myself to downhill ski. I’ve tried, and I find myself falling on purpose almost immediately. Something about voluntarily hurtling in a downwards direction at a rapidfire pace makes my instincts scream “NO!”
    I used to cross-country ski though… great exercise! I hated it. My dad would drag my teenage self out in minus 30 weather (celcious, mind you) into open fields with biting winds and off we’d go. I was not impressed. Now I wish I could! Burn off some of this winter insulation!

  2. Mami2jcn :

    tweet-http://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/40771840402145280

  3. Mami2jcn :

    I like you on Facebook with my username Mary Happymommy.

  4. http://travelingbugwiththreeboys-kelleyn.blogspot.com/ :

    My boys wish we lived in Utah or at least during the winter. They love to ski. I am like you. I am good with a cup of hot cocoa. I do ski, but my husband and I have different philosophies about skiing. I like to take my time and look at the scenery and he likes to go very fast. He likes to see how many runs he can get in a day. Oh, I am so excited you are going to Europe. You guys are going to have a blast.

  6. Tabathia B :

    like on fb (michelle b)
    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

  7. Alecia :

    Our favorite winter family activity is to make hot chocolate, pop popcorn and snuggle under blankets and watch movies. When it’s too cold outside, this is a perfect ending to our day!

  8. Audrey :

    I’ve never been skiing and really don’t ever intend to. Hate snow, hate being cold, dislike going down hills really fast… etc. But I would LOVE a gift card!

  10. Jessie C. :

    Like Petit Elefant on Facebook@tcarolinep Jessiekatie S

  11. Barb @ getupandplay :

    This gives me hope. I grew up here, too, yet don’t ski and sometimes feel like a pariah! You give me hope that one day when my kids are older I can learn to like it enough to go with them.

    I really like sledding and going to our cabin- it’s so fun when it’s got snowdrifts up to the windows!

  12. Shari :

    Skiing and I don’t get along. Memories of being downloaded down Blackcomb Mtn have a little to do with it. but I love to go ice skating, or tubing, and would love to go snowshoeing, all though I have not had the pleasure of doing that as of yet.
    tweeted here>>> http://twitter.com/#!/fruitloopgirl/status/40814629026398208

  13. Shari :

    Liked on FB… shari mcouat gapp

  14. Kristen :

    I LIKE Salonpas on Facebook.

  15. Beth Lemon :

    Liked them on facebook.

  17. Sara McGinnis :

    I’m in on FB & Twitter @Sara_McGinnis. We love going to the mountains but haven’t had the moolah to invest in skiing yet!

  19. Suzanne :

    Like Salonpas on Facebook

  20. Beverly :

    I liked Salonpas on Facebook.

  21. Kristen :

    I have resisted snow skiing for the same reason. I HATE being cold! But just last Monday, we took 3 of our kids to Sundance and we all had the time of our lives. Already planning another ski day!

  22. Gabrielle V. :

    I tweeted that my favorite winter activity was a snowball fight, and I also liked SalonPas on facebook!

  23. Jeannine :

    You don’t even understand the love I have for Salonpas! I buy in bulk at Costco. It got me through the 3-day / 60 mile walk last year and well, as I get er, umm a little older is a much needed relief each night for sleep. Love your family stories and so envious of your proxim to Park City — one of the worlds most beautiful locales. Wish I could see you more. xoxo

  25. Emily :

    tweeted!

  26. LAMusing :

    I like Salonpas on Facebook (as the name in my email address)

  27. Christy Combs :

    I like on facebook!!

  28. courtney :

    I follow along the same lines as you– give me some hot chocolate, a book, and a roaring fire. But I do like ice skating, since that’s what my hub and I did on our first date. :)

  30. Heather :

    I like them on FB!

  31. Michelle :

    I would love to win this! I would take a ski lesson or 2, now that I live in Denver I figure it’s time to get out on the mountain :)

  34. AutumH :

    Like them on FB.

  37. Danyell :

    Like Salonpas on Facebook- Danyell G
    evrywoman at yahoo dot com

  39. JEWEL :

    I (Julie Cowart) Like Salonpas on Facebook

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  43. Anne :

    I am a facebook fan (Anne Jolly) of salonpas

  50. Katherine :

    LIke them on FB
    kathy persons

  51. Aimee :

    Oh how fun! I haven’t been downhill skiing, which is funny because my hubby loves it and was even training with the US Ski Team before he blew out his knee. I really need to go, I feel like a bad Utahn for not going. :)

  52. sunchicka :

    Tweeted @sunchicka
    Facebook @sun chicka

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    I like SALONPAS on Facebook @Dia Corona.

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