As I am writing this, most of the parents of my daughter’s classmates are frantically packing their kids’ sleeping bags and clothing for an overnight school camp for three days. Or at least I imagine so, and so does my daughter.

We are packing our ski goggles, ski pants and extra sweaters for a ski trip to Park City Mountain Resort instead. When you are reading this – we are on our way to Utah, while the other kids are just getting settled at their camp side somewhere in New York.

My daughter is on 5th grade, and she is an honor student who reads more books in a week that I read in six months. She is well-behaved, smart and doesn’t get into trouble. I don’t think I am a helicopter parent watching her every step – and by the way, I have no trouble letting her to go to ski school in Park City Mountain Resort and letting a person that I have never met before to take her up to the mountain and challenge her to get to the next skiing level and test her limits with her skis. On a big mountain.

But how come I have trouble letting her to go on an overnight camp with the kids that she goes to school with every day, with a teacher in a school that we have carefully picked to be among the best in our neighborhood?

I don’t know.

There is a part of me that wanted to say “go, and have fun”, especially seeing how much she wanted to go, and even when the teacher was telling us “not to worry”. But the lack of really knowing where they were going (not enough communication from school), and what they were going to be doing, and not knowing any of the people going.. I just couldn’t. I don’t care if it’s “a good school”, and “carefully selected students” going with “plenty of parents”, I could not let my 11 year old to go on an overnight school camp. Does this make me a bad mom or a good mom? According to the teacher, more of a bad mom, not that she said it with words.

Maybe I do know why I can’t let her go.

I understand that I am denying my daughter an experience and a lifelong memory, but how could I guarantee that it would be a lifelong good memory? When I was a kid I went to summer camps, Girl Scout camps, school camps, and gymnastics camps and dance camps, starting when I was about my daughter’s age. I was scared shitless on my first camp, and all what I wanted was to go home. Then I got older and started doing all of the things my mother wouldn’t have approved me doing – at the camps. And I witnessed more bad behavior, bullying, under age drinking and smoking cigarettes at the church and sports camps than in the “bad neighborhoods”. No disclosure here which of the listed I participated in, but not all of it was voluntary – on the camps I was bullied doing things I normally would not do. And on my 6th grade camp one of my schoolmates, and a roommate of mine went to diabetic shock. Lifelong memories yes, but not all good ones.

I know I can not shield her from “bad memories” or bad things forever, and I do want to put her in situations where she has to be able to make up her own mind, take care of herself and be independent. And I do. But school camp is not one of them. At the same time – she will have to learn that you can’t have everything in life and sometimes it’s a bitter lesson to learn. But at least I am making this one a bitter sweet. Can’t think of a better way to NOT go to a school camp than going skiing in Park City.

Maybe I’m not that bad of a mom after all.

You can read our travel stories and about our ski trip at Park City Mountain Resort Snowmamas.

Disclosure: I am one of the Park City Mountain Resort Snowmamas, and my trip to Park City is paid for. My opinions are my own.

Full disclosure: I received compensation for posting this but all of my opinions are my own.

My main reason to be able to ski – I need to be able to keep up with this little guy!

Did you know that “skimbaco” loosely means “skiing in Colorado”? The word “skimba” means skis or downhill skiing in Finnish, and “CO” is for Colorado, where we lived when I founded Skimbaco. The brand really isn’t about skiing and it means that everyone should live life to the fullest and enjoy life where ever they are; when you are in Colorado, go skiing, when you are in New York, go to museums and see a Broadway show, enjoy what you have. But while Skimbaco blogs tell you about fashion, trends, interior design, food and travel, the origin of the name comes from passion to snow sports, and our family’s love of skiing.

There are many misconceptions about skiing, and one of them is saying “I have bad knees, they can’t ski”. But I know everything about bad knees, in fact, I’ve had two knee surgeries. While there has been ski trips that my knees look like French loaves because they are so swollen, I have different ways to cope with them. One of the best things you can do for your knees is to keep the muscles around them in good shape. I am not a doctor here and this is by no means medical advice, but the better shape my muscles are, the better my joints can take extreme sports like skiing. I can also rationalize that I need a hot tub in a ski lodge for medical reasons to relieve the pain in my joints and relax my muscles after a day of skiing.

SALONPAS contacted me and asked if I wanted to test their product on my next skiing trip. SALONPAS® Pain Relief and SALONPAS® Arthritis Pain are the first and only over-the-counter pain-relieving patches approved by the FDA. I like how SALONPAS offers pain relief in a form of a patch and a cream, making it easier to attack the pain right in its source. SALONPAS is proven to work on mild to moderate pain and great for muscle and joint pain, back pain and sprains, strains and bruises and the thin and flexible patch makes them easy to wear especially when you want to remain active. I have not tried the product yet, but it will be packed and ready to go for my next skiing trip. If you want to give it a try, SALONPAS® products are available at most major drug stores including Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid and Duane Reade, and most Walmart stores.

SALONPAS® SPONSORED $200 AMEX GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY

 
SALONPAS® is sponsoring a giveaway of a $200 AmEx gift card.

To enter the giveaway, tweet the following, leaving a link to the original tweet in a comment on this post:
Send out a tweet, answering the question:
“What is your favorite winter activity and why?” along with the #Salonpas hashtag.
OR
Winter activities giving you muscle pain? Check out #Salonpas on Facebook for solutions: http://facebook.com/salonpas.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
Like SALONPAS on Facebook at http://facebook.com/salonpas and leave a comment here that you did.
Send a tweet “Enter to win $200 AmEx gift card at @skimbaco http://goo.gl/fb/ykRta #salonpas” and leave a comment here with a link.

DEADLINE: Monday, February 28, 2011, midnight, EST.

GOOD LUCK!

Park City Mountain Resort is in the search of new Snowmamas, and you can apply to become one!

Snowmamas are moms helping other moms with tips and insights of family ski vacations, and answering questions from parents who are planning their first or their tenth ski vacation. Anyone can apply to become a Snowmama – or Snowpapa. I hear papas are welcomed to apply as well, and in our family the family ski vacation planning is a team effort, and sometimes I feel like the ski vacations are the vacations the papa in our family gets the most excited about anyways.

Truth to be told, we all feel the same way – nothing beats family ski vacations, and our kids have been skiing since they were about five years old. Did you know that I founded Skimbaco while we lived in Colorado, and it actually comes from a Finnish word “skimba” that means skis/skiing? That’s how close to our hearts skiing is.

The Snowmamas application process started earlier this week and kids and I joined the Park City Mountain Resort team and fellow Snowmama Eileen Ogintz to celebrate the launch at the Today Show Plaza. Like family ski vacations create memories that children will remember their lifetime – so is being on TV, and doing a New York City adventure on school night. Kids made signs the night before, and were so excited to be on the Today Show set. They talked to Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Ann Curry and Al Roker – and shared their enthusiasm of skiing.

I’m skiing in Telluride, Colorado this weekend, and next week I will be heading to Park City Mountain Resort with my fellow Snow Mamas for more skiing.

10 things in my “ski bunny wish list” that I wanted to share with you…

1. The L.A.M.B. team Canada sweater just looks so cozy and warm… but it’s kids’ size and sold out.. But I know Roots has super cute sweaters like this too.

2. Osprey Packs backpack – just got one last week, and I’m getting ready to pack my laptop and everything in for my flight. Great go-anywhere backpack. Oh – don’t like the pink straps? Don’t worry, it comes with removable straps so you can match the straps with your clothes.. Who says sporty can’t be cute?

3. The USA Ski Team backpack is even sportier if you are not a girly girl.

4. The red Vancouver Olympic Mittens are only $10 and so cute!

5. … but what I really want are the Reusch Noram Ski Gloves ($105).

6. And I’d feel like a gold medalist in the Nike Team USA puffer jacket.

7. If there is one thing what I really-really want.. it’s the Völkl Bridge twin tip skis ($505) – but luckily at least the rental shop at Park City Mountain Resort has them – that’s where I tested them last month.

8. And Zappos has great news – now they also ship to Canada! Check out the limited edition Canada rainboots by Rockport ($120) It’s available both the United States and Canada, and there will only be 2,000 pairs produced, 1,500 of which will be numbered. Collectors boots in deed!

9. I also like the blue UGG boots to match the puffer jacket.

10. Last but not least… Gimme me some more snow! I am not ready for spring just yet, I want some great skiing in the upcoming month!

Share what you love with your children.

Park City Mountain Resort discounted ski season passes until October 15th.

It’s first of October! October for most people is the time to enjoy the autumn leaves, and have fun with kids on Halloween, for ski enthusiasts it is the time to start already thinking the upcoming ski season. Here are the top six tips what to do in October to get ready for the upcoming ski season.

1. Book Your Ski Trip
To get the best deals to travel this upcoming ski season, book your trip in October. Flights are cheaper when you book them now and many resorts offer travels deals, and you can save a good chunk by booking already now.

Depending the location, many ski resorts try to open the slopes already around Thanksgiving, but since there is no guarantee of the weather, make sure to contact your favorite ski resort to ask when they are planning on opening, before you book your early-season ski trip.

2. Save Money on Gear – Shop Now for Last Season
If you are fast, now is the time to get the best deals on ski gear – if you are willing to buy last years models. You can save up to 75% of the retail price on last year’s ski gear, as the stores are getting ready to stock their shelves with new winter 2010 ski gear. Better yet… some stores offer pre-season sales, like for example Sun and Ski Sports – they already have some winter 2010 skis in and you can save up to 200 dollars on some of the newest skis.

3. Save Even More Money on Gear – Swap or Rent
If for some reason you can not find a deal on new skis right now, or still would like to save a little more money – look for local ski swaps, check out used skis at eBay, Craig’s List or see if a ski rental shop is selling any of their used inventory. Your local ski shops will know about the ski swaps – just call and ask! If you are looking for ski gear for kids – look for garage sales, post an ad for Craig’s List to buy used gear or rent it. Most ski shops have season rentals, and you don’t have to worry about returning the skis until the end of the season next spring. If you plan on skiing with the kids only a few times a season, I would also consider renting directly from the resorts you are visiting.

North Face Femtech TRICLIMATE® Jacket, new for winter 2010.

4. New Ski Gear is Coming!
If you are a ski freak, you will want to know the latest and greatest ski gear coming up, and wait until you can get the coolest new gear. It’s that time… some gear has already arrived to stores, and will keep coming the upcoming weeks. While some ski equipment is already in, not all brands are in yet. But several clothing brands have already started shipping new fashions for winter 2010 and for example North Face already has new styles in stock. My favorite is the three-in-one jacket above.

5. Get Into Shape
Ok, most of you skiers are probably sports fanatics during summers too. Me – not so much.
Getting shape for ski season will be my main goal for October and November. If you are a lucky Wii-owner I would like to recommend a Wii fitness game that will get you in shape by the start of the ski season. Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2009 will be available on October 21st and I had an change to meet Jillian and get to preview the game a few weeks ago. Let’s just say that you will feel this workout and you can focus on building strength and whole body coordination with this game. Instead of using equipment to exercise you will use your own body and gravity to get the best results. You will need all your muscles for skiing – this game will wake up even those which ones might have been taking a siesta all summer long.

Another great brand of shoes that I just found out is Earth Footwear – their shoes have soles that make you feel a little bit like you are walking toes up – this makes you work your muscles in a new way and the just walking with the Earth Shoes will strengthen and tone your body. Yes – just get a new pair of shoes and burn more calories and get in shape.

6. Get Your Season Ski Pass on Discounted Price
Many resorts are offering reduced priced season passes still a few more weeks. The cut date for discounted season passes for several ski resorts is October 15th, from Park City Mountain Resort in Utah to Killington Resort in Vermont.

Giro Ski Helmets, available at Sun & Ski Sports

The recent death of a British actress Natasha Richardson has brought attention to ski related accidents and the debate of whether the ski helmets should be mandatory or not. Natasha Richardson, wife of actor Liam Neeson, fell when she was taking a private ski lesson on a beginner slope at Mont Tremblant ski resort in Quebec on Monday. She didn’t see a doctor immediately, and felt OK, but started having a severe headache an hour later. She died of brain injury on Wednesday. Natasha Richardson was not wearing a ski helmet when she fell.

This accident has drawn eyes to ski accidents and the topic of making ski helmets mandatory. There are no proofs or enough information to confirm that Natasha Richardson’s death was only ski accident related, and that a ski helmet would have saved her life. However, I think it is a good thing to bring awareness of the importance of using ski or any sports helmet.

I understand that many ski resorts are against making ski helmets mandatory, just from the supervision perspective – whose responsibility it would be to make sure that the skiers are actually using a helmet? It would be a huge burden for ski resorts, some of who are already struggling due the economy, to add supervising ski helmet use to their long list of things to do (and pay for). However – I think there is a great opportunity for some ski resorts to step up and start promoting ski helmet use and safety even more.

FACTS*
- Skiing or snowboarding are not any more dangerous sports than other sports. In fact there are 12 times more swimming related deaths a year, than ski related deaths, when compared to the numbers of people doing these sports.
- An average of under 40 people die of ski related injuries a year.
- Using ski helmets has been increasing in the U.S., now around 43% of skiers and snowboarders use helmets.
- 70% of kids under 9 use a ski helmet, adults around 50%, lowest ski helmet usage is at age group 18-24 years olds at 32%.
- Use of helmet reduces the incidence of any head injury by 30 to 50 percent.

Smith Ski Helmets, available at Sun & Ski Sports

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The good news is that more and more people are using ski helmets each year, and especially the kids are are using them. However, there is still a lot to do to to educate people about ski safety and the usage of ski helmets. You can do a lot yourself! Show an example, wear one. Use a ski helmet – nothing is better than showing the example by you doing it, especially when you can be a role model to many children at the slopes. Show that others use it too – point out “cool people” who also use helmets for the kids who otherwise might not want to wear one. Get the right helmet. Get a helmet that is comfortable to wear, and you like. When you are buying a ski helmet for your child, get one he/she likes. Helmets can be fashionable too – get cool helmet covers, decorate them with stickers… helmets can be very cool!

SKI RESORTS COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE
As a mother of three, I would much rather pick a ski resort to go with my kids, that supports ski safety and promotes usage of ski helmets. And after speaking with several other “ski moms” – I know I am not the only one. My kids have said to me “why I have to wear a helmet, because the ski teacher isn’t?” or “I wanna be in a ski patrol when I grow up, because they don’t have to wear ski helmets”.

Making ski helmets mandatory for ski resort personal would make a huge difference in the overall attitude towards ski helmets. The ski accidents don’t just happen to beginners, they happen to skiers of all levels. In fact, the deaths happen more often to those who are skilled. Ski resorts could also incentivize ski helmet use of their guests. There are ski resorts in Europe who offer a lift ticket discount for ski helmet users and some ski resorts like Purgatory, in Durango, Colorado, offer free hot chocolate for kids who know “the code” and wear helmets.

I would love to know if there is even one ski resorts, who has made it mandatory for its personal to wear ski helmets, and how if any it has impacted to their bottom line. I believe that there is also a business opportunity for ski resorts who would have the guts to take this step. Goodwill, great PR, added safety on the slopes and even higher sales on ski helmets or trips. I think there are many families who would support the safety aspect and would choose the resort for that reason, not to even mention, if they could get a discount for using ski helmets as well. How about partnering with a known ski helmet company to raise even more awareness of the new “our staff is the safest” slogan?

I understand nobody wants to be the first resort making ski helmets mandatory in the fear of loosing business, but it would be fairly easy task to promote ski helmets and safety just by making the ski resort staff to use helmets, and it wouldn’t be that costly, if partnered with a known ski helmet company and used the fact for promotion of the ski resort and the ski helmets. To me, it sounds like a no-brainer.

Read more:
Tips How to Get Your Kid To Wear a Ski Helmet
Ski Resorts Should Encourage Safety
Use Your Noodle and Protect Your Noggin
Best Kids Ski Helmets

* Source: National Ski Areas Association

One of the ski resorts where I want to take kids is Park City Mountain Resort in Utah. Park City Mountain Resort is known for their family friendliness. For example they have Signature 5 and Signature 3 programs in the kids’ ski school. Signature 5 meaning that they never have more than 5 students on the ski class, which is geared for 6-14 year olds, and Signature 3 is for kids under five, with no more than 3 kids on the same class. That’s something what a mother of three can truly appreciate!

Our dreams of skiing this winter were totally crushed when my husband got hurt, so I am truly hoping to start the next ski season early, and I am dreaming of a trip to Park City Mountain Resort as soon as they open for the next season!

Park City Mountain Resort is so much more than just skiing though. Their summer activities are phenomenal, from alpine coaster to horseback riding and from mini golf to summer time scenic lift rides.

I am so excited to tell that one lucky family will get to travel to Park City Mountain Resort – and you might be the one sending them there! Snowmamas of Park City Mountain Resort and Mom It Forward have teamed up to recognize a deserving mom to win a family summer vacation in Park City Mountain Resort.

“Think of a person who has made a big difference in your life. Someone that embraces the Mom It Forward mission. Someone that lifts others, has overcome challenges with a smile, is a positive force for good, or just makes your world a better place.”

Go and Mom it Forward – recommend someone you know to win this trip! I had several in my mind, but I mommed it forward to Kristin of A Ordinary Life, because she is always helping others and someone I truly admire.

Enter to win: Click directly to the giveaway and comment there according the rules. NOTE: you can not win commenting on my blog post here, you need to comment at the link provided. Deadline: midnight on Tuesday, March 17.