One way to save nature and some money is to live without things just a little bit longer.

An example, I ran out of baking spray and decided to try melting butter and mixing it with flour and use that instead. I really works, it takes a little longer because you have to brush it on instead of spraying and maybe it doesn’t work exactly as good but instead I got more space in my cupboard, saved the money for the spray and one less piece of garbage in landfill. All in all it was a sacrifice I was willing to make so I am happy. This time I ended up not buying any more spray but most of the time that won’t happen, you live without for a couple of days and the next time you are at a store you buy what you need but the important thing is that I thought about what I needed and for me the right choice was not to buy the spray but only because I went without for a couple of days I got to try something new and could make that choice.

Remember that every little thing counts, if you live with what you have for a couple of days before buying something new you use up things, save money, maybe you will even learn something new.

Have a beautiful day.

(Photo: MGSpiller)

Today I want to talk about happiness. There are some questions I have been thinking about for some time now that I would like to write something about:

• When are we happy?
• What makes us happy?
• And even more important,  when are our children happy?

These are important questions, because if we don’t know what makes us happy how will we find happiness.

It often feels like people think happiness comes from money, you have to spend money to be happy but is that really true. It is easy to see that children are happy when they are on a sugar high at Disney World, but are they truly happy or just overwhelmed?

I have a theory that it is the time spent doing something extra that brings happiness not the extra in itself. So therefore, taking a short walk while the whole family sings as loud as they can is just as memory building as a day at Disney World. No, I m not saying that you should only do small inexpensive things, if you have the money go and have fun but remember one fun week is only one week, we have to try to find happiness the other 51 weeks too.

Some ideas for simple fun things:

1. Bake some muffins from scratch.
2. Take a walk
3. Try a new vegetable for dinner.
4. Have a pick nick, not a fancy one but a tiny one that takes 2 minutes to plan.
5. Make something, try making some paper craft from Canon.
6. Light some candles and play a  board game.
7. Start a happiness journal and find 3-5 things everyday that made you happy.

Try a new thing today and really try to feel what makes you happy.

-Have a beautiful day!

(photo: Wolfgang Staudt)

Since I am currently designing the Carripac baby carrier I am using my latest prototype whenever I leave the house. I use my own prototype to find out if there is anything that needs to be improved on. Since the Carripac is just a backpack until you need a baby carrier that is where I store everything I need to bring when I leave the house.

I try to pack as little as possible because you have to carry every single thing you bring along and you will enjoy your time more the less you have to carry. I am sure I could reduce what I carry some more but here is a list of what I usually bring.

• Eagle Creek Pack-It Two Sided Half Cube It’s my diaper bag, not a very big one but enough for everything I need. My youngest has just stopped using diapers so my diaper bag is now used for extra clothes.
• Eagle Creek Pack-It Small Sack For when the earth goes under (according to my kids) it contains band aid, paper , pens, a spork and other things that can be useful.
• I sometimes bring my Pashmina shawl but only when I think I might use it, I always pack it when on vacation because then I use it all the time. I usually pack it in a Eagle Creek Pack-It Quarter Cube
• Small wallet
• Key ring with my keys, a Leatherman Micra, a tiny LED torch and an extra small “wallet” that’s just big enough for some tiny folded bills for when I forget my wallet.
• Since I am using my Carripac prototype I don’t need to carry an extra baby carrier but if I where carrying a normal backpack I would pack some kind of baby carrier, a long wrap for a small child or a structured carrier for an older child.

This is what I normally carry in my backpack, maybe I could remove some of it but I seem to use it often enough so I keep it there for a little while yet.

(Photo: Peaches&Cream)

What is an adventure? Adventures can be different things for different people.

I don’t think you can have exactly the same adventures when you have small children as you had before you had children. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have an adventurous life with children,  your adventures are just different.

Adventure can be different things for children of different ages, a two year old  will have an adventure jumpng from a small stone but an older child will need a much bigger stone to call it an adventure and an adult will need to climb a mountain before it is an adventure. By looking at your child and enjoying their adventures and at the same time have tools that let you  have some small grown up adventures while your child is secure and close to you so you can spend the time together everyone can have a great time and everyone will be happier.

Adventures with kids doesn’t meen mountain climbing but why not hiking or taking an early stroll on a small market with your child securely on your back. Or stroll hand in hand with the love of your life on a sandy beach with your child sleeping on your back. The child gets some nap time and the adults gets some quality time together.  Just don’t forget to put a blanket over the sleeping child to prevent sunburns.

Adventures is really about being ready for all opportunities that comes your way. That is when a baby carrier is one way to be ready.

Many people I talk to don’t think they will use a child carrier after the baby is 6 months old because then the baby will be too heavy so this post is an attempt to show when a child carrier can save the day.

• Airports, do I need to say more? Running from one plane to the next with luggage and a tired child is never fun but with the child securely on your back where he/she can talk to you the walk between planes is a bree

• Going on a longer hike than your little one can walk? I have tried it without a carrier and in the end my hip was killing me and my arms where sore from all the carrying. Last weekend my family went for a five hour hike (including two longer stops), something that would be impossible without a child carrier if you like me have a three year old

• Shopping without a stroller, it’s fun in the beginning but after a while everyone gets tired and a quiet time away from temptation can save the day

• Having two children and a single stroller? A single stroller is easier to handle and if the older child is walking you don’t need a double stroller very often. But when the older child gets really tired it’s nice to just put the younger one in the child carrier and let the older child take a nap or a well needed rest

• Colicky baby? Most babies with stomach pains want to be rocked then it’s especially nice to be able to put the baby in a child carrier on your back or stomach and slowly bounce on a big yoga ball while reading your mail. The baby falls asleep and you can get something done at the same time

• Mowing the lawn with a toddler running around isn’t the safest but the same toddler on your back with ear protection on and you have a sure way of putting him/her to sleep

• Overtired babies usually falls asleep very fast in a carrier. Especially if you walk or move around

• Going to a crowded market with a stroller is not the way I want to spend my time but with a small child on your stomach in a carrier or a older child on your back it can be a enjoyable time

• Sometimes you just need to have both hands free exactly when your baby want to be close and then a child carrier is a really nice option for everyone

• Going to the playground with an older child when you have a newborn is a lot easier when you don’t have to bring a stroller.

When I talk about child carriers here I talk about several different types of carriers. I think different carriers are good for different things. A newborn have different needs than a very mobile three year old.