Enter Outdoor Families Magazine's Surf and Sand Family Vacation Sweepstakes and Win BIG!

Picture this: toes blanketed by the warm white sand beaches of Mexico, your kid learning to ride waves like a pro under the tutelage of a top-notch surf instructor, traditional, homemade meals with locals under a starry sky. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, it could become a reality for your family if you head on over to Outdoor Families Magazine right now.

Outdoor Families Magazine has partnered with Thomson Family Adventures to giveaway a 6-night family adventure vacation for three to Baja, Mexico. The prize package, valued at over $10,000, includes once-in-a-lifetime experiences like swimming with sea lions in the famed Sea of Cortez, horseback riding across pristine beaches and more!

This sweepstakes is just one way Outdoor Families Magazine is giving back to their readers for an overwhelmingly successful first year filled with empowering content, inspired community and global awareness. I have been proud to watch the larger outdoor families tribe blossom and grown stronger with OFM's strong commitment to get kids outdoors.

Refusing to stand in the shadow of larger outdoor industry giants, Outdoor Families Magazine has become the #1 champion of families globally, giving them the tools and encouragement they may use to responsibly usher in the next generation of earth stewards. The ease with which OFM introduces families to ideas, delivers valuable information, and gently extends an inclusive hand offers a stark contrast to the persistent outdoor message that one must climb the highest, run the fastest and look great while doing it.

I'm thankful to Outdoor Families Magazine for all they do, but most of all, I'm proud to call them a part of my outdoor families tribe.

Italy With Kids: Hiking Cinque Terre from Outdoor Families Magazine

Part two of our family's Italian adventure is now published at Outdoor Families Magazine! What an absolute delight it is to have the opportunity to relive the trip of a lifetime through narrative. I hope it inspires other parents to get out there with their kids and continue to check items off their bucket list!

I first discovered the tiny, scenic fishing villages of Cinque Terre, Italy nearly 20 years ago. A fellow traveler had thrown out a fascinating new term of “agriturismo” on the still-young internet, and, intrigued, I began researching its roots. Virtually scanning Tuscany’s rolling hills and vineyards, I was led to a magical place where craggy mountains greeted rolling seas, and Cinque Terre soared to the top of my bucket list. A quick jaunt from the French border, this region, known as Liguria, is sandwiched between relatively low, rolling hills of the Piedmont and an expansive, emerald sea where dramatic mountains crash boldly down to the warm Mediterranean waters. I became transfixed, perhaps even obsessed, with pictures of meandering passages, cozy coves and spirited locals. To read the full article, go to Outdoor Families Magazine!

Truly Tuscany: A farm-to-table family adventure from Outdoor Families Magazine

FINALLY the Tuscan leg of our epic Italian adventure has been published and I can't wait for you to read it!! 

Driving south from Milan’s Malpensa Airport, husband at the helm, our little rental car wound through the lush green of Italy’s interior, allowing us a view of every quaint hamlet, ancient mountain tunnel, and roadside espresso stand. This first leg of our inaugural Italian road trip, around 250 miles, would eventually deposit us in the Chianti region deep in the heart of Tuscany, but at the moment it was all about staring at scenery. Spellbound, we observed a heavy mist as it slowly evaporated to reveal the trademark pencil-thin cypress trees we had been romantically imagining for 20 years. As our daughter sang along to the Mamma Mia soundtrack on repeat in the CD player, my husband and I grinned knowingly at each other, finally smack-dab in the middle of our dream. To read the full article, go to Outdoor Families Magazine!