Posts Tagged ‘winter’

After living on the East Coast where the kids could have snowball fights in the front yard and to go sledding all we had to do was cross the street, we moved to Southern California.  The kids miss the snow.  Can’t say that I blame them, sometimes I miss a good Snow Day too.

Last year we discovered that there is a place, right here in San Diego County, where we could get our winter fix.  Complete with snow, sledding, and hot chocolate and pie.

Julian, Ca is know for their famous pies but what we love about it is that it’s only about an hour away, off highway 78,  and often snows during the winter.

The kids and I took a trip up there yesterday but unfortunately the couple inches they had gotten the day before had melted away except for the parking lot snow piles. We weren’t able to do any sledding but still enjoyed stomping around in puddles.

When the snow does stick, it is a great winter day trip!

(photos below from Feb. 2011)

A great place to take those snow saucers is Jess Martin County Park, located about 1/2 mile south of town on highway 79.  There is a perfect hill on the back side of the park that is public.

And when your done with you snowball fights check out Julian Pie Company on Main Street for some delicious pies and hot chocolate!

Thankfully, this winter I’m back in Sunny California.  But last year I was caught right in the middle of the biggest snow storm that the Washington DC area had seen in decades!  I shoveled, and I shoveled, and I shoveled, and let me tell you…it hurt!  I was sore from head to toe!

According to a recent survey, 62% of Americans have aches and pains that are triggered by winter activities such as shoveling snow, being outdoors for long periods of time, and clearing ice off a car. [1]

To help combat these cold weather aches and pains, ThermaCare HeatWraps offer the following tips to keep you moving during the cold weather months.

·         Warm up before any outdoor activity – A quick 10 minute warm up can prevent hours of aches and pains. If you are going to be skiing/ice skating or even playing outside with your family, make sure to stretch and do simple conditioning like squats or lunges to get your body moving before going outside. 2

·         Pace yourself while shoveling snow – We all know the aches and pains that come from shoveling snow. However, there are certain things you can do to protect your body from getting hurt.  Try choosing a shovel with a plastic blade rather than a metal blade. Plastic blades are lighter and may do less harm on your back. Also try to take breaks and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated in the cold. While this may take a little longer to finish your driveway, your body will thank you for it later!

·         Dress warm and in layers –Minor aches and pains often feel worse in cold weather. If you are going to be outside for long periods of time, remember to wear a hat and scarf to ensure you are staying warm in the cold.

·         Wear comfortable non-slip shoes – Icy patches on roads are sometimes unnoticeable, so it’s important to do everything you can to avoid slips or falls. When you are walking to and from your car while grocery shopping and doing other chores, make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes with good traction.

·         Try using ThermaCare® HeatWraps – Reach for ThermaCare® HeatWraps when you know you have a long day of winter activities ahead of you to help keep you moving and relieve aches and pains. They are available in custom sizes for a variety of aches and pains and are proven to be more effective for back pain than the maximum dose of acetaminophen (4,000 mg). *  (* As measured after 8 hours.)

ThermaCare Heatwraps is launching it’s Brand New Facebook page tomorrow 1/11/11  and are giving away 10,000 free Samples!  Be sure to visit www.Facebook.com/ThermaCare for more details on how you can get Your FREE Sample.

Additionally, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, is providing a  soothing winter prize pack for one of my readers.  Prize pack will contain:

• A Microfleece blanket
• Decorative Mug
• Seasonal Tea
• ThermaCare Heatwraps

Entering is easy.

1. Do you have aches and pains from shoveling mounds of snow?  Or just playing in it?  Leave a comment below telling us.
2. ‘Like’ the new ThermaCare Brand Facebook page and leave an additional comment below telling us you did so.

Bonus entry:  Follow @TooTutuCute on twitter and tweet about this giveaway.  Be sure to leave an extra comment letting us know.

“I’m warming up this winter with a ThermaCare giveaway from @Tootutucute http://goo.gl/fb/C51rv“

Contest will end on January 31st at Midnight EST.

Congratulations to our winner, comment #26-Nicole L said:  “I Liked Thermacare on Fb”!

1 Opinion Research Inc. conducted a national telephone survey of 1,000 adults, age 18 or older living in the continental United States. The survey was completed during the period November 4-8, 2010. The survey was funded by Pfizer.

2 Consult your physician before beginning any exercise program

*Therma Care Brand did not pay for this advertisement.  All opinions expressed in this article are solely my own.

Whether you are somewhere where it’s snowing but just too dang cold to go outside or in sunny, warm weather and there is no snow…you can still have a ‘Snowman’ day!

It’s just too cold here to play outside everyday, even if we are bundled up.  We came up with this ‘winter’ themed craft for some indoor fun!

What you will need:

3 different sized paper plates (I used a 7″, 9″, and 10″)

various beans

hole punch

2 pieces of 3″ long string

1 piece of 6″ long string

1 piece approx. 12″ long ribbon tied in a bow

markers, crayons, etc.

2 small twigs

glue

First, punch a hole in the top of the large plate, one hole on each end of the medium plate, and one hole on each end of the small plate.  Take the 2 pieces of 3″ long string and tie the plates together, face up.  Turn the plates over.

Next, decorate the plates however you’d like.  Then, glue beans to the small plate to make a face and the twigs to either side of the medium plate for the arms.

If your ‘Snowperson’ is a girl use the bow at the top of the small plate as a hair ribbon.  If you are making a ‘Snowboy’ place the bow at the top of the middle plate to be used as a bow tie.

Let glue dry completely and then tie the 6″ long piece of string to the top of the Snowperson and hang.

Top off the day with a fun treat!

To make the snowman snacks connect 3 marshmallows together with 2 pretzel sticks.  Use 2 more pretzel sticks as the arms and 2 chocolate chips for the eyes.  Serve with some hot chocolate for a perfect winter treat!