I resisted a minivan for years. Instead I preferred to shove a kid, a dog, a weeks worth of camping/outdoor gear (and on one occasion 3 chickens) into or on top of our wagon. There was zero floor space anywhere, I couldn’t move my feet, rarely could you see out the back window, it smelled like dog breath and because we didn’t have tinted windows I once saw someone taking a photo of us with their cell phone. It was apparently a sight to behold.

I finally caved after Isaac was born. It took one road trip with an additional kid/car seat and I was done, a 2001 Toyota Sienna it was. You may be asking why not an SUV? Well, minivans are just far superior. Theeeey ummm, well, . . .

If you remember, we asked our most awesome readers on Monday to hit us with their best caption for this crazy camper. After a cozy Cinco de Mayo evening with margaritas on the rocks, we've made our choice for the winner of the Lonely Planet book Travel with Children.

Everyone, put your hands together for Tabea and her entry:
"We don't just keep up with the Jones', we run right over them!"

She sent us this picture of her adorable daughter, who looks quite excited for her mom. Ahh, remember babies?  Best creatures ever.

So, congratulations to Tabea. She'll be getting a copy of the Lonely Planet book Travel with Children from PlanetGear.com - and thank you to everybody for participating.

Three Good Reasons to Visit PlanetGear.com Very, Very soon:

1. They're supporters of you adventure parents out there.
2. They're a part of 1% For The Planet
3. You can get a killer deal on Kelty packs starting May 17. Yes, Kelty is the maker of those kid carriers that everyone loves, adores, and that few parents would live without.

Be sure to get your account going at PlanetGear.com to take advantage of that.

Do you know what to do if your child, teenager, partner, or neighbor collapses from sudden cardiac arrest?

It could happen. According to Take Heart America, a 'sudden cardiac arrest' survival initiative based out of Ohio, approximately 300,000 Americans die from sudden cardiac arrest each year. There is no way to predict whether you will ever need to know and use CPR. But learning to utilize Compression-only CPR before emergency responders arrive could make the difference between recovery and death in someone you know - and it will take less time to learn than it takes to finish your morning coffee.

Last week, standup paddler Karen Wrenn linked all of California's Channel Islands over the course of six days and 150 miles under her own power. She's the first to do it. That's an undertaking few hope to do. She's 39, and a (superhero) mother to three children. We'd just like to say, "Bravo!" You're awesome, Karen.

Turns out, too, standup paddling makes for a killer ab workout. In case it's not obvious to you. Yeah, put the chips down and do a couple of crunches, like now.

You ought to go read this interview with Karen, it'll only take up 4 minutes of your day, and you'll get the nitty-gritty on how she did it.

Via: http://www.supthemag.com/features/karen-wrenns-channel-island-crossings/