Hiking With Kids in Utah - Bell Canyon (Lower Bell Canyon - Boulders Trailhead)

I had read a few times that the Bell Canyon trail is a fun one to do with kids. When I posted that I planned on going, I received other news. Some warned it's too steep, it's too dangerous - don't do it with young kids. But it's hard for me to give up a plan. I knew that if we started and I felt that it was too much, we could always turn around. 

We hiked the Lower Bell Canyon from the Boulders Trailhead. This is low in the valley and there is little shade. We were hot! Plan to do this hike in the early morning, late afternoon or on a cooler day. My 4 yo was quite unhappy with the amount of sun we hit.

It is steep for the little ones, they truly earned some hiking boots on this trip. They were able to do it without much concern for their safety, but I knew they were challenged. The trail can be narrow, so this would be a good time to explain hiking manners and etiquette with your kids.

My kids are always happy with a hike that includes water! Bell canyon doesn't allow dogs or swimming - leave the suits at home. It does however allow fishing at the reservoir. When they are a bit bigger, this would be such a fun place to fish with them.

There is no way that children younger than 4 could do this safely in my opinion. I strapped my 2 yo on my back until we reached the reservoir. There were times that hiking with him on my back was tricky, but never too difficult. I did see an adventurous new mother with a very young baby strapped on.

Beautiful views, but not much wildlife - another hiking prereq for the kids. Though they were quite proud of how high they climbed.

The reservoir is gorgeous! I've read that it can be quite crowded during the year, but we had a great time. Pack some water and snacks to enjoy by the water (and please bring your trash back with you.)

Is the Lower Bell Canyon hike a good choice for you? This is for older kids or adventurous younger ones with some experience. It wasn't my kids favorite - too hot, too high and no animals. But I'm sure in a few years, we will be back to catch some fish!

Hiking with Kids in Utah - Lisa Falls

The last time I hiked Lisa Falls, I was 7 months pregnant with Julie and chasing after a very rebellious 2 year old Isabelle. It wasn't fun. Maybe that's why it's been a couple years since I considered going back and I am so glad we did!

Lisa Falls is a very short hike off the road in Little Cottonwood. Though it is a short hike, it is rocky and travels near the falls. I don't recommend toddlers walking this trail without very close supervision, my husband carried our two year old son. He was pretty scared of the rushing water and didn't want to walk on his own. There was another family there that had a young baby strapped on to their backs and she looked so happy!

It is however fun for slightly older kids - our 5 and 7 year old had a blast! Be sure to pack swimsuits, towels and water shoes. The girls had the best time playing in the water.

There were a few times I wanted to jump in and protect them, but they had so much fun exploring and playing in the water. It is a good time to go over water safety with children though, the falls can be strong during certain times of the year.

And well, you can't hike near falls with two princesses and not have a mermaid photo shoot!

This was also a very popular site for rock climbers. The kids loved to see them climb!

Two thumbs up for Lisa Falls! Just watch those real little ones on the trail and maybe not for pregnant Mommas (or at least it was too much for me a few years ago!)

Hiking with kids in Utah - Silver Lake

I have never seen myself as an avid hiker. Though I love the wilderness, it just has never been high on my favorites thing to do. Well that is until I became a mother. That is one of the best things of being a parent, exploring the world through new sets of eyes. Have you tried hiking with your kids? There are so many awesome reasons to make this a regular excursion with them!

*Kids are natural explorers. They want to see new places, climb big boulders and spot animals (even if it is just a chipmunk) in the wild. They want to learn in a fun environment.

*Hiking is typically free. There are times when parks will charge a minimal fee, but this is such an inexpensive way to spend the day.

*Kids need to burn off energy. Hiking allows them chances to run, to climb and wear themselves out. You may find that you are rewarded with fabulous naps after your hikes.

*Instead of yelling or bribing your kids to remove themselves from technology, hiking is a fun way to accomplish that without an argument. You may find that the more your kids love the outdoors, the less you hear the electronic sounds.

This summer, I will be posting my reviews of hikes with kids in the local Northern Utah area. Please feel free to chime in with your favorite places to hike!

Last week we started our season off with a favorite of ours, Silver Lake. Hands down, I think this is the best beginner hike with kids that I have found. The hike around the lake is about an hour at a slow speed - the perfect time for my kids (2,5,7). It is common to spot moose and beavers. On our trip we only saw chipmunks and squirrels though.

I recommend packing the kid cameras, bug collectors and jackets. Here the kids spotted a beaver dam on one side of the lake and a lodge on the other.

The path is quite large and safe with little elevation gain. You could easily push a jogging stroller on the path (we saw at least a 1/2 dozen that morning).

It is a wonderful shaded hike that is a cool respite from the valley during the hotter months. I recommend if you prefer a more peaceful time, plan on hiking early in the morning. Around lunch time, the parking lot is full and the lake is chirping with lots of little voices.

Two kiddo thumbs up for Silver Lake!

Have you gone? What was your favorite part of the hike?

Cactus - Cake Bites!

Cactus are so hot right now! I lived in Arizona for over a decade and I hated them. I moved there from the California coast at 16 - right in the middle of my high school years. I hated everything about our new home, as many teenagers would after a move. But in time I grew to love the desert. I love the monsoon season, I love the color contrast and I love the complete quiet that can be found. My husband is a desert man and I know he misses it. Lately with the cactus craze, I've been painting more cacti and the other day I had an idea to make a cactus cake bite. Now you can too!

What you will need:

1 package of the super mini cake cones

1 package of any shade of cocoa candy melts (or you could temper chocolate)

1 package of mini marshmallows

1 package of graham crackers

1 package of Oreo - S'mores (though you could use any flavor - I just thought this went the best with the other flavors)

1 package of vanilla frosting (again, you could use any flavor)

1 package of green candy melts

assorted sprinkles, sanding sugar

I love these super mini cake cones - I keep finding new ways to use them. They are the perfect base for cake bites.

Slowly melt your cocoa candy melts. The bags give directions on how to melt in the microwave, but I adore my double boiler. Either way, once they are melted you will want to dip each cone in the chocolate and set to the side to harden. Don't fuss too much about any imperfections; they are to imitate pots and rarely those are perfect.

I let mine sit over night and work on them the next morning. With a sharp paring knife, you can trim down the base to help it sit right. You can also shave any really big areas of too much chocolate. Save the extra bits of chocolate - you will need them in just a minute.

Stuff mini marshmallows down into the pot. This will help weight it and allow it to sit. It's also a yummy surprise once the cake bite has been devoured.

*You could also use gummi bears or any other favorite small candy.

Melt the extra chocolate candy wafers and cover the pot tops. Before it hardens, sprinkle crushed graham cracker on top. This will be the gravel or soil.

Drop all the Oreo crackers into a Cuisinart and blend until they are all crumbled up. Since it has the creamy filling, they will be slightly moist. Now you will add a dollop or two of the vanilla frosting. You want just enough frosting that the Oreo mixture will stick together like clay, but you do not want it too sticky!

There isn't a perfect amount of frosting - it depends on how many cookies you start with, the weather, etc.. I would start with a couple big spoonfuls and blend. Check until it's the desired consistency.

Shape the Oreo cake dough into the desired cactus shapes. Check out pictures of the real plant, look at clipart, and other cactus art. Try to vary the shape - you may find some are easier to work with than others. And then place in the fridge for 20-40 minutes (do not place in freezer!)

*When you are shaping the cake bite, gently test it on the pot to see if it is a good proportion.

While your cake pops are hardening in the fridge, place a toothpick in the center of each pot. Be sure to let the cake pop eaters know about this so they don't get an unpleasant surprise.

Melt the green candy to coat the cactus. I found a really fun bright green at Michael's - it's Wilton's Vibrant Green.

Get your decorating yummies out and ready to use. I picked out green sprinkles, green sanding sugar and a few other goodies. Explore your nearest baking supply store for things that maybe fun to use.

Then you will dip and decorate your cactus. I placed mine to the side to harden and then placed gently on the toothpick center of the pot.

I think these would be so fun for any desert or Mexico themed party. Wouldn't these be adorable table favors at a wedding or fiesta? Your guests will love that their personal cactus is completely edible and delicious!

Auction for Nepal.

In light of the devastation in Nepal from the destructive earthquakes, I have set up an auction on Ebay for this mixed media art piece. According to UNICEF, right now in Nepal there are 12 babies born every hour without basic healthcare. This means that 18,000 newborns and mothers will be at mortal risk over the next couple of months. As a mother, this is devastating and I want to do something.

Please consider bidding on this art piece or sharing the information with someone that may be interested. Every single dollar with be donated to UNICEF. Together we can help make a difference.

The skull pattern was generously donated by The Quilted Fish. If you would like to purchase it, please click here for more information.

XO

Cheeky Popsicle Cookie Pops

My second daughter is finishing up her last year of preschool at a traditional school - in a few months, I will be homeschooling her as well. As excited as we are to have all our babies at home, we will truly miss this preschool and everyone there! She's made so many friends that we will be keeping in touch with for play-dates. I wanted to make those cutie pies a small end-of-the year treat for them on their last day.

I searched high and low on Pinterest for end of the school year cookie ideas, but just didn't find any that knocked me out. Originally I was going to do a beach ball - for "Have a ball this summer!", but I wasn't hooked on it. I started to see a lot of Popsicle cookies on my Instagram feed and thought that would be fun. I added my own little spin and made them Kawaii Popsicles. I'll be adding a little watercolor tag on them - "Stay Cool This Summer!"

For these cookies, I used my cookie artist idol, Arty Mcgoo's Roll-Out Cookie recipe.  When I roll out cookies, I always roll between two sheets of parchment, this reduces adding more flour to the dough. I also use 1/4" roller bands - this will give you consistent thickness.

And here's a tidbit for you, a tombstone cookie cutter from Halloween will make a perfect Popsicle shape!

I really wanted to make these cookie pops - that adds a huge part of the whole Popsicle idea, right? I can not shove those sticks in nicely. I've tried a bunch and read many articles, but it's always a disaster. So here's what I do. Once the cookies are completely cooled - like the next day - I spread a thick layer of melted candy wafers on the *back* of the cookie, gently sink in your stick and cover with a heaping spoon of more melted candy. You can smooth it out much better than I did, but it's the back and it's candy - I figure no child is going to care or complain, right?

Then I decorated using Bake at 350's Royal Icing recipe. I use the original recipe for piping the sides,ice shading, eyes and smile. You will need to thin it down to flood the cookie. Once it has dried, I painted on a bit of light corn syrup and sprinkled clear sanding sugar.

All done! They just need to be wrapped in cellophane, tied with a ribbon and note.

Stay Cool!

Can't Let It Go, Let It Go

I can't believe my first born turned 7 a few months ago. It honestly seems like just yesterday when I could feel her kick in my belly at the sound of her Daddy talking. She has always been an old soul though - full of wisdom and kindness. Those who know her, know she exudes a sunshine that is unique. My sweet girl requested a Frozen birthday and I did my best to accommodate!

When we celebrate birthdays, we tend to make it at least a week long party. A quick tulle wreath for the front door - adorned with vinyl and lots of glitter! Her face would light up every time she saw it when we would drive up to our home.

A banner in her name and a snowball (cotton balls) garland in the front room. Her name and snowflakes were cut on vinyl and the pennants are metallic cardstock. 

A peek-a-boo vinyl decal for our family room lamp - the image is from Cricut's Frozen line.

A watercolor invitation with lots of glitter and boxed up with a ribbon. These were one of her most favorite invitations!

Since her birthday is in early spring, all the Utah snow had melted and we were able to have the party outside with her friends.

 

We had snow-capped Elsa punch - such a hit with the kids! And amazingly there were no blue puddles in the kitchen after the party.

Olaf noses in the snow (baby carrots with ranch dip).

Kristoff ice cubes (blue raspberry Jello jigglers).

 Elsa's favorite fresh fruit..

And a Rock Troll salad (Cesar salad).

Since all the snow had melted, we couldn't build a snowman. Instead we drew Olaf all over our brick fence - no worries, chalk washes off and the kids loved it!

Kiddo wanted to create a game of her own for the party. She drew Elsa and cut out magical snowflakes for a fun game of pin the snowflake on Elsa. Isn't she so creative!

The children blew a bubble reception for Elsa! Elsa was amazing! If you live in Northern Utah and would like to invite her to your party, she can be found at Part of Your World Princess Parties. We received no compensation for this review, we just truly loved her! I still hear about how wonderful she was from my daughters and the guests!

There was a story time out on the lawn - the kids were hanging on her every word!

Singing and dancing with Elsa..

and lots of time for photos!

When Elsa had to return home, it was time for desserts!
First we had Anna's Frozen Heart cake pops..

 

And this year my daughter requested a cake from the bakery. It was delicious, affordable and was one less thing for me to worry about. Win, win!

The kids took home a goody bag of white & blue rock candy wands because I'm sure they needed more sugar in their life.. Sorry parents!

It was a wonderful birthday and party. These childhood years fly by, I will never regret making a big deal on their special day.

Now, can we let it go?