Getting Ready for Spring

Yesterday I spotted a patch of grass in my backyard, and this morning it's only about fifty percent snow-covered. When my family and I went skiing/boarding on Sunday, the bottom of Snowbasin was the consistency of a Slurpee. The big topic of conversation around here has been whether or not we can squeeze in another day or two of our beloved winter sports, or if we should just store our gear in the closet and call it good. Then again, if our weather man is to be believed, we have a couple of 70 degree days coming, followed by a snowstorm. So who knows?

I have some pretty fun things scheduled for spring. My husband, boys and I are road-tripping it to Las Vegas later this month. My husband has a meeting and a triathlon and the boys and I have a lot of swimming to catch up on. Then, for spring break, we're all heading to Denver to visit friends and family and my home town. While there, I get to do a couple of school visits--my very favorite authorly pasttime. Then we'll open up our family cabin in Idaho, where we spend many a weekend come summer.

What do you do to get ready for the warmer seasons?

Earth Day Everyday, Everywhere

Mom and me in our Akumal backyard.

Hola! I just got home from a lovely week in Akumal, Mexico. I got to brush up on my Spanish, soak up the sun (and quite a bit of rain one night), snorkel, go fishing (sailfish, mahi mahi and barracudas--oh my!), chase iguanas and geckos, explore Mayan ruins in Tulum, search for shells and critters on the beaches, and visit one of the many eco-friendly parks called Xel-Ha (pronounced Shell-ha). I was impressed by many things on this trip, from the scenery and weather to the tasty foods and friendly people, but one I'd like to highlight is the ecological awareness of the people there. They go out of their way to preserve the Earth, including an abundance of recycling opportunities and the mandatory use of biodegradable sunblock when snorkeling or visiting eco-friendly parks. At Xel-Ha, they exchange your Coppertone for a tube of Coral "Natural Friendly" face and body cream. I love knowing that I'm doing my part to keep the ocean healthy and thriving, even if it's just by switching sunblocks.

With Earth Day being celebrated this week (April 22), I'd love to hear about what you're doing to preserve our planet.