Caia Koopman created the art on these skis and snowboard from Rossignol. She's a lowbrow artist contracted by Oakley, Rossignol and a few gear makers to create signature designs, and as you can see her work is bold, assured, and whimsical. Much like the 4-year-old girl I raise, if I may inject that. You try getting her bathed, brushed, chilled out with a book and finally to bed and you'll see for yourself. I need a drink just thinking about it.

The line of Rossignol boards and skis is significant not just because of the fanciful feminine artwork . . .

You can safely assume that this is a product I've never tried.

Because a large percentage of our readers are in fact lovely ladies, and even though I'm not a woman, I think this very much belongs in our Mom's Blog column. And because I live with two women, one of whom is 4 years old and doesn't quite understand why it's a problem to pee all over her shoes and socks when we're away from a real potty, I have enough experience to know the GoGirl likely has a future home in our own gear stash . . .

All good things come to an end, even cute diaper bags. Over a year ago my wife Brooke posted about the JJ Cole sling diaper bag, and since then we get a constant flow of emails from ladies who want to know where the heck to buy one. True, it's an awesome bag that I know my wife's enjoyed and it's possible you've even seen me using it. But it turns out JJ Cole didn't sell enough of them to keep producing the bag (what else would be the reason?).  As far as we're concerned, that's a bummer.

Good news, ladies. We think we've found the fix. Overland Equipment has the answer to your desire for a handy, yet good-looking, sling bag . . .

Artwork by Seth Neilson

If hanging out outside isn't about food and happiness, then what is it about? I'm sure we all know that the magical combination of graham cracker, chocolate and marshmallow is the near-ultimate manifestation of happiness in food. On my list, s'mores rank third after mint chocolate chip ice cream and my wife's homemade brownies, neither of which can we replicate on a campfire. S'mores have the upper hand there.

If you don't know about the outdoor clothing by Mountain Mama, you probably should. In the simplest terms, Mountain Mama creates stylish and functional clothing for women who enjoy the outdoors. Especially pregnant women. Mountain Mama doesn't stop there, because, well, who could when there are beloved babies involved? The company works with Seth Neilson, a graphic designer, to make this ultra-cute adventure alphabet series of onsies and toddler t-shirts.

courtesy of Donna Stewart

Ah, Utah. Utah, Utah, Utah. You look so lovely today. Now check out Darren and Donna's 1964 Canned Ham trailer they scored on eBay. Like most of us first time parents with a backpacking habit (or insert your own form of outdoor adventure), they had a miserable time tent camping with their fresh-born little one who just couldn't manage to go to sleep at night in a tent.

But they didn't give up too easily.

What I love most about this video is that it's a video.

Keith Ladzinski brings us all the joy we can handle from the easy side of the keyboard without having to haul our keisters to ground zero to watch. He filmed Steph Davis doing something to four Moab-area towers that no woman has done before. She climbed each one - wait, hang on, I know "what's the big deal there?" you ask - and then base jumped off.

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/

Children of the Sky from steph davis on Vimeo.

Welcome. Good chance you won't be doing this as a family. But that's not the point. For a few short minutes, you can feel like you're flying.  Really flying.

***

Ummm, The Sunday Morning Chillax? Here's the idea. You're up early. You're enjoying a cup of coffee in the quiet morning while your little turds sweet children sleep in. We'll share a video (No reading necessary!), something to give you happy, relaxing thoughts about mountains, fresh air, fun, or whatevs. Enjoy. Relax. You deserve it. Uh . . . except this is not guaranteed to be weekly. Hey, that's the price of free.

Erica Lineberry tells us, "Pre-cragbaby Steve and I loved planning our multi-day climbing trips around areas that we could do both sport and trad.  My favorite combo was a day of hard clip-ups followed by a nice long, easy multi-pitch climb."  Well, times have changed. Here are her five tips for keeping up with her climbing goals while being a new mom.

Fellas, as cliché and convoluted as Valentine's Day is, it's nigh upon us - for those who remember the rewards are great, for those who forget, well, the rewards are not. Admittedly, I'm just as behind the eight ball as you are.  Let's work together on this - I got your back, you got mine, okay? I've picked out four things that should really stoke your girlfriend or wife (assuming you have one or the other, not one of each), plus a fifth specifically for pregnant women (you animal).

There's no lingerie here because I happen to believe that many of the offerings in outdoor clothing have a more sophisticated way of suggesting the woman in your life is beautiful and irresistible.

Read on, read on.

Aren't you wondering what those masks are all about?  Well, maybe you want one.  Or two. Or a whole set for the whole family?

Brooke's essay dives into the world of off-highway driving.  As she's seen, and as she's dealt with first-hand, it's a macho world that's not very inviting to women.  Off-road trips with the local club are usually long, tiring, and really just not quite the same as a day out with the girlfriends.

She's found a way that it can be fun, though, and she wants other women to experience the fun, too.  "As great as our off-highway drives and camping trips are now," Brooke says, "one point I can't overlook is that fellow women adventurers can be sparse out here. So, hello? Where are my girls at?"

Dsquared Roxy Hiking Boot

Oh great. Just great. Brooke's birthday has already passed. Our anniversary was last month. And it's July, a whole six months from Christmas. Just when I find the perfect gift for my hottie adventurous wife, I have no event to celebrate.

Maybe I'll just surprise her with a pair of these for fun. Just to say, "I love you."  Jewelry is one thing; these shoes are entirely different.  Seriously, they fulfill a certain fantasy I never knew I had . . .

What do you think would happen if I came through the door one evening after work with a pair of these babies in a bow-clad box? A swoon? A leaping spread eagle that lands around my hips and she smothers me with smooches? We'd get a babysitter for the night maybe?

$1,000 shoes....
but at least they're cute.Yes the shoe is very real, but I may never know what it's like to give it to her. It's Italian. The pair costs $1,000 (no kidding). I groan when we have to pay $100 for running shoes, so I'm a lost cause for this shoe.

We spent a thousand bucks, actually just under, for the three of us in Baja for two weeks last month. Thousand-dollar shoes -- but at least they're cute.

You might recall that I wrote a piece called, "How To Marry And Adventurous Girl" a few weeks ago.  Seriously, my first piece of advice is notice her shoes and compliment her on them.  Wow.  Think.  What if you saw the object of your affection strutting around in a pair of these?  She's practical, she's spicy, she's fit. She's combining the workout of a a hiking shoe with the come-hither styling and delicious calf display of a high heel. Win-win.

Speaking of Winning . . .

Steve Casimiro from www.theadventurelife.org is so smitten with this shoe - of which he simply mutters "WTF?" - that he's giving away a video camera to the best submitted caption for this picture.  You can't win if you don't play.

The JJ Cole Essentials Sling back diaper bag has gone everywhere with us for two-and-a-half years because it's ideal for moms (or dads) who prefer to travel light and like a stylish, rugged diaper bag.

I can fit a drink, snack, couple of toys, change of clothes, couple of diapers, and wipes in the compartments along with a few of my own womanly essentials for an outing. This bag adjusts to fit different body types, which makes it versatile enough for both parents to use.  And yes, if you can believe it, dads will not mind shouldering the diaper bag burden when it's this compact and easy to wear.  If you are tired of the bulkiness and clutter of diaper bags and want something new, or if you're becoming a first-time parent, this bag is a great addition to any family's travel gear.

Chloe plays at the park
Fall has arrived in the desert.  Trying to take advantage of some days in the sun that are the perfect 78 degrees, we've been escaping to our neighborhood park for morning play time.  Having a two-year old toddling in the park is always fun and sometimes even funny...except when it's time to say 'bye-'bye to the slides once more.

I know Brooke would never go for it, but if she did I have a suspicion she'd get a tattoo similar to this heart-shaped music theme. That's just cool usage of the treble and bass clefs.

Check out these two galleries at parenting.com

Watch out boys, them ladies are taking over.
Seriously, have you ever seen a group of women rigging winch cable together?  It's like better than a swimsuit calendar.
Brooke gives an overview of her experience with Overland Training's Woman's Course.

If you have to know, our daughter Chloe wasn't conceived at home, or in a hotel, or in the backseat of a car. So what choice is left?
Get the woman's perspective on this luxurious safari tent that keeps us, warm, dry, and really really comfy when we're on a trip. So comfy, in fact, that we're likely to reproduce.