After my husband prepared a hearty and healthy breakfast, we let the kids watch some of the Rose Parade on television before getting outdoors for some fresh air and sunshine. We made our way up the Pacific Coast Highway for a family-friendly hike in Solstice Canyon. Originally setting out to check out the architectural ruins, “Darth Vader” House and waterfall, we realized we left our backpack and baby carrier at the house so we didn’t make it that far. No…
Some of my most treasured childhood memories are of playing outdoors… swinging from a tire that my Dad tied to a big oak tree, picking ripe juicy plums, running through the sprinklers and picking red seed pods out of Magnolia tree cones. Nowadays, children hardly get outside. According to several studies, the average American child spends just four to seven minutes playing outdoors each day, and more than seven hours each day in front of an electronic device or screen. This shift profoundly impacts…