Kindness

While in Texas last week, Sienna bonded with this adorable little baby goat.  We were told that this goat was not growing very well, so a runt of sorts.  I had the feeling that the other goats did not pay much attention to this goat, so a visit from Sienna was probably very welcomed.  It took every bit of restraint from Sienna to not pick him up and take him home!  Remember to give your kindness and attention to everyone this season, even the runts! :)

Kindness

Taking a Break

We had such a wonderful time last week in Austin Texas visiting with family!  We really enjoyed spending time in this beautiful city and relaxing for a few days.  When we arrived home, we were greeted with so many wonderful orders to fill and a lot of seasonal things on our to do list.  For the rest of this year we will be working 7 days a week to ensure that all of our amazing customers are taken care of with our high standard of customer service.  Not only will we be working from our home office, but we are also vending at 2 events over the next 2 weekends in the Northern Colorado area.*

This weekend we were very busy, but as you know, we also like to enjoy ourselves!  So, on Sunday we took a break from the chaos and headed out for a hike.  The girls packed up their journals, snacks, water bottles, and mittens and we went to one of our favorite open space areas to enjoy a family hike.    Here are a few photos from our much needed break!

*If you are in the Northern Colorado area, please come see us at the Loveland (Dec 4 & 5) and Fort Collins (Dec 11 &12) Miss Market events ! 

Taking a Break

Sisterhood Review: Snack Taxis

We've been looking for snack holders in the gypsy house for quite awhile. Something to pack our snacks into on our weekly day long trip to meet up with our homeschool pals in a city nearby. Each evening before the big day we pull together snacks and lunch and bottles of water to keep everyone's bellies full and happy. Packing the homemade trail mix into repurposed plastic bags and random containers was getting a wee bit frustrating and I really wanted something the kids could easily hold onto and munch on during the hour long trip back and forth.


And then we found these groovy bags made by snack taxi here on Hip Mountain Mama.

They have a super easy clean interior, so far I have just wiped them clean. If they get really dirty they can be washed in cold water and laid flat to dry. The kids & I filled them up with our favorite trail mix and hit the road ;)

Gypsy Mama's Trail Mix

2 cups of your favorite organic crackers or dry cereal (we like Annie's Cheddar Bunnies)

1-2 cups of nuts/seeds (we like ours roasted & salted, almonds & sunflower seeds are our favorite)

1 cup of dried fruit

1/2 cup something sweet like dark chocolate chips (optional)

*I have been known to pour the last of cereal boxes, snack nuts & other random pantry items into a mason jar, mix it up, and call it trail mix. Shhhh :)

With all the fun prints, it's easy to tell which snack belongs to which kid. An added bonus for our large brood! These functional and well made bags are sure to join us on many journeys in the future!

~Stephanie

*Stephanie is a part of our Hip Mountain Mama Sisterhood review team.  She blogs over at Gypsy Forest where she writes about her busy days of being a mama, crafting, cooking and snapping photos along the way.

Sisterhood Review: Snack Taxis

Weekend Sale

We had such a wonderful time with family last week in Austin Texas and were reminded of how thankful we really are!  We are so blessed to be living the life we love surrounded by family and friends who support and believe in us. 

We wanted to take this busy shopping weekend as an opportunity to thank you with the gift of $20.00.  From now until Monday night at midnight (Mountain Time) we are offering you $20.00 off all orders over $100.00.  Simply use the code "Blog20" to redeem your $20.00.  We are still offering our holiday special of $10.00 off all orders over $50.00 and you can take advantage of this deal by using the code "Blog10".

Thank you so much!  Our small family owned and operated little Ma and Pa shop wouldn't be here if it weren't for our amazing customers!

Weekend Sale

Day 5 of Features: Natural Branch Building Block Set

Everybody loves building blocks. They make a great gift for boys, girls, toddlers, and young children. The desire to build things by stacking the blocks in different arrangements is something that just everyone can enjoy.

We have had this set of Natural Branch Building Blocks for well over a year and it is one toy that keeps getting played with by itself and in connection with other toys. This particular set of blocks is handmade in the USA by Natural Earth Farm which is a small family business. Each piece is hand cut from their homestead, sanded very smooth and packaged in a hand crocheted bag.

Our children love the natural feel of these blocks. It is a safe, natural, and classic toy that children really enjoy playing with. In a world full of plastic toys that light up and play music, it is refreshing to see a child's imagination take off with these natural wood toys.

Day 5 of Features: Natural Branch Building Block Set

5 Days of Features: Day 4 Baby Legs Legwarmers

I get asked a lot about the sizing of Baby Legs and how they can possibly fit a baby on up to a 10 year old.  It does sound a bit crazy...but I am here to tell you it's true!  Yes, they do fit a baby differently than they fit a 10 year old, but they still work wonderfully for both of these sizes and everything in between.  On a baby, they are designed to cover the entire leg and may have some bunching.  This comes in really handy when baby starts to crawl and makes for super easy diaper changes.  As the child grows, the legwarmers simply have less bunching and will eventually start covering less and less of their legs.  My girls have worn these since they were babies and are now 3 and 6 still wearing their leg warmers a ton. As a Mom, I truly depend on my Baby Legs Legwarmers.  I always have a few pairs in my bag and they go with us everywhere.  When we end up somewhere and the kids get a bit chilly, we simply put on a pair of Legwarmers and problem solved.  I had some fun the other day looking through photos over the past couple of years and found a lot of photos with the girls wearing their Baby Legs Legwarmers.  I wanted to show you some of these photos so you can see just how they fit differently at different ages!  And don't forget to add a pair of these wonderful legwarmers to you child's stocking this year!

5 Days of Features: Day 4 Baby Legs Legwarmers

5 Days of Features: Day 3 To Go Ware Utensils

We take our To Go Ware with us everywhere!  Please watch this short video to learn more about To Go Ware Bamboo Utensil Sets.

These make a wonderful gift for kids and adults.  Everyone in my family uses them and loves them!  Comes in 5 fun colors to fit everyone's taste!

5 Days of Features: Day 3 To Go Ware Utensils

5 Days of Features: Day 2 Pod Bags

The Pod Bag is one of my favorite reusable grocery bags!  Watch this short video to see how easy it is to use these bags!



The Pod Bags really do make a great gift or stocking stuffer!  Women and Men will appreciate this little green gift that will help them live a little 'greener'

5 Days of Features: Day 2 Pod Bags

5 Days of Features: Day 1 Snack Taxi's

We have featured Snack Taxi's before, but we have not yet addressed our most frequently asked question about Snack Taxi's!  How do you wash them?  Below is a short little video describing how we wash Snack Taxi's here at Hip Mountain Mama Headquarters.






Do you have someone on your Christmas list that is hard to shop for?  These make a great gift or stocking stuffer.  Kids, Moms, even that special guy in your life is going to love and appreciate this green reusable gift!  We have a nice selection of adorable patterns, as well as solid colors, in the snack size and sandwich size!

5 Days of Features: Day 1 Snack Taxi's

Sisterhood Review: Eco Friendly Skirt

Yes folks, you read that right... me... in a skirt. And smiling, to boot! For those that know me, you know I only wear dresses or skirts maybe 2-3 times a year, but I'm trying really hard to bust out the girly side (heh, who knew one existed, right?) and wear them more frequently (baby steps. I'm still wearing shorts underneath them!)

Most skirts that you find in the stores look like they barely cover your undies, so I knew that wasn't the direction I wanted to go in. I finally found one that is long enough to leave me not blushing, and completely able to bend over, sit down, and do a mean hi-ya karate kick! Not to mention it is ridiculously comfy and since it's brown, it goes with almost anything! Kudos to Hip Mountain Mama  for providing this amazing skirt. I'm planning on wearing this later this month when I give thanks to the mashed potatoes, and send a silent "I'm sorry" to all the turkeys (hey, vegetarians can enjoy T-Day, too, but I still feel guilty for others eating that silly looking bird). I think it will go great with my maroon tights and Toms shoes. Now what to wear on top!


It will last me through many seasons and many pairings, and I feel great wearing it because it's organic cotton and hemp, two of my favorite pairings. It's a little snug right now, but I'm hoping with a little lovin, it will stretch out a little bit. The waistband itself is pretty stretchy (and since I'm so short), I can wear it at my hip for extra length and coverage, or pulled up to my actual waist (that hasn't happened in about 15 years!) for some knee-length action. After all, knee caps are so hot!

SQUEE!

~Sheena

Sheena is a part of our Hip Mountain Mama Sisterhood review team!  She blogs over at Happenstance13.

Sisterhood Review: Eco Friendly Skirt

Sisterhood Review: Sunrise Mountain Bag

Okay team, first things first.....CHECK OUT THIS BAG!

I received this cutie from Suzy at Hip Mountain Mama just in time for my flight back east. Seriously....I am so glad it came in time. I gave this the ultimate test, it would be my carry on. And really, I carry A LOT when I travel!!!

This is what I packed for my carry on:
three books
curling iron
travel toothbrush and toothpaste
cell phone cord
cell phone
wallet
lip gloss
small makeup bag
travel brush
pen

This bag has two full size pockets...the inside of the bag itself, along with a 'secret' pocket along side the flap. It also has a smaller pocket with in the bag. One of the things I like about these pockets were that they all had sturdy zippers to hold everything in. I didn't have to worry about anything falling out....I just threw it over my shoulder and bustled through the airport.

Now that I am back home, I find that I am still using it for my daily purse. I really do like it. I can see everything that I have and organize accordingly with the pockets that I have to work with...love it, love it. FIVE STARS.

no room for coco tho!

~Vivian

Vivian is a part of our Hip Mountain Mama Sisterhood review team. She is a brown eyed Greek girl, thirty-something single mom. She likes to sip a nice Cabernet and has three fantastic kids that she loves to climb trees with. Vivian believes in "star crossed lovers" because she's been there and lived through it  Hiking and x country skiing are her dose of sanity and she enjoys the beauty of the west that she is blessed to call her home.  To learn more about Vivian, please stop by her blog, The Patchwork Heart.

Sisterhood Review: Sunrise Mountain Bag

Feature Friday: 3 Items = 1 Degree Less

It is cooling off here in Colorado and I imagine it is doing the same where most of you live.  This year we held off on turning on our heat due to an unseasonably warm early Autumn.  Well, we are now experiencing weather, including snow, that has lead to the heat getting turned on.  In years past if I would get chilly, I would turn up the thermostat 1 degree and that would usually do the trick.  We typically keep our thermostat pretty low, around 62-64 (65-66 in the heart of Winter), so we are usually bundled up inside with sweaters, slippers, some times even hats.  Seems crazy to some people, but we don't mind it!  For our One Small Change project, I am thinking of dedicating December to keeping the thermostat as low as we can stand...saves on money and energy! 

So, now on to our feature!  If you are considering saving on money and energy this season, I have just the items for you!  First of all, we are now carrying these adorable and comfortable Mukluks!  I haven't taken mine off since I put them on and they are keeping my toes very warm around the home.  They come in S,M,L and are only $9.99.  Hand made with 100% wool, they come in many cute colors and designs and you are just going to love these!  I wear mine over a pair of socks just for around the house, but they are great for a quick walk to the mail box or to the compost pile. 

Next on the list is a pair of Wool Hand Warmers.  Now, maybe you won't wear these around the house like I do, or maybe you will.  They really are great for chilly mornings or working on the computer (I am wearing mine right now).  They are also great for driving the kids to school, going on Winter walks, running errands, or any time you need to step out on a chilly day.  Your fingers are totally free to catch those phone calls, change the radio station in the car, or helping your little one zip up their jacket.  These are lined with fleece and the outer shell is 100% wool making these super soft, cozy, and warm.

Another item that we got in this week that went straight on my Christmas list is this Fleece Shawl.  What better way to keep warm around the house than throwing something over your shoulders.  It is less constricting than a sweater and is easily taken on and off.  It can also be used to throw over your lap or to snuggle up with your little one.  Are you wearing your baby on Winter outings?  This would make the perfect addition to throw around you and your baby for extra warmth. 

So, there you have it!  3 items that will help you keep the thermostat down 1 degree this season as well as keep you warm when you are out and about!

Stay tuned next week as we bring you Five Days of Features, including videos of some of our favorite products and some great gift ideas!

Feature Friday: 3 Items = 1 Degree Less

Take Time to be Silly

Suzy and I finally have a bit of a schedule now where we split up a few dedicated working hours so we can each get our work done. With Magnolia in school this leads to some great one on one time with Sienna. She loves her daddy time because, lets face it, dads just play different than moms. I play rough, often take it too far, and always allow for a bigger mess than mom would.
We have had a pretty regular thing with going for walks, riding our bikes, and just playing outside but with cooler weather this week we had to explore some inside games. We started innocently enough with multiple rounds of the Classic Memory Game.

We eventually moved on to playing with our Gnome Family where we stacked the gnomes in ever more creative positions.

Then naturally added some natural wood blocks to increase the level of difficulty.

Then daddy took it too far. I got the idea for us to physically act out the positions we dreamed up for the gnomes. We took a simple gnomes position like this...



and brought it to life....



After a few spills and some tears, mom came out of the office and made us quiet down and just read some books. Still it was worth it for the laughter we shared that afternoon. I hope you are also finding time to just be silly. Even adults need to act like kids sometimes.

~Andy

Take Time to be Silly

Afraid of the Squash

Is anyone else out there a little freaked out by the squash?  Butternut, acorn, pumpkin...all of it is so intimidating to me.  Now the fact that my husband doesn't like to eat squash doesn't help the matter.  The occasional times when a squash ends up in my household it usually ends up being a Fall decoration for a week or so, then given to a neighbor or thrown in the compost pile.  What have I been so afraid of??

When Andy came home from picking up our weekly CSA share this week, I was stunned to see a huge Cinderella looking pumpkin.  My eyes got big and I got nervous...was this going to be another item that created a festive atmosphere in our kitchen, only to end up in the compost a month later?  No...not this time!  I was determined to figure out what to do with this thing!  I actually got my confidence recently after attending our local winter's farmers market  a few weeks ago.  Scott Hapner of Chef Happy's Gourmet did a wonderful cooking demonstration and actually made cooking with squash look fun and delicious.  He introduced me to some new techniques and some great new recipes.    

The name of the pumpkin that Andy brought home to me that night was actually an heirloom french pumpkin called Rouge Vif d' Etampes.  I got to work on making some pumpkin puree that evening (knowing that if I waited even 1 day longer, I would not follow through with this mission).  Here is what I did.

Cut the pumpkin in half

Scooped out the seeds and stringy stuff (threw the stringy stuff in the compost and saved the seeds for baking later)

Place the pieces cut side down on a cookie sheet and baked at 375 for 90 minutes.

Let it cool for about 45 min

Scooped out the flesh,

Placed it in my food processor, and viola...pumpkin puree!

I froze most of it, but I did save some to try out my new recipes!

The next day I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin quesadillas and we all LOVED it!  I am no longer afraid of the squash...well just a little bit still!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies..courtesy of the Chef Happy's Gourmet
1 cup softened butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup quick oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup cooked pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  In another bowl combine flour, oats, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Add to creamed mixture.  Add pumpkin and mix well.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Drop by spoonful onto baking sheet.  Bake 12-13 min at 350 degrees.

Pumpkin Quesdialls...courtesy of Chef Happy's Gourmet
4 oz cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup cranberries chopped
1/8 cup cumin
1/8 cup oregano
1 Tbls brown sugar
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
10 tortillas

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until thoroughly combined.  Spread 2-4 Tbls of mix onto tortilla, top with another tortilla.  Toast on no stick surface.

Afraid of the Squash

What An Amazing Year And So Much To Look Forward To...

We almost forgot to mark a very important anniversary. We've been so busy with the business, the girls' schools, outdoor activities, and hanging out with good friends lately that we actually forgot about the 1 year anniversary of taking our lives back.

If you've followed this blog or know us personally, you know that I (Andy) quit my corporate job 1 year ago. I had worked in banking for 7 years and worked my way up to V.P. Commercial Lender of a Bank. It was never my dream or even anything I considered I'd get into, but I learned an awful lot about business and even more about myself working for a large corporate bank.

On November 13th, 2009 I walked out of that bank for the last time and I felt so free. Since that time Suzy and I have worked hard at building Hip Mountain Mama, I've gone hiking on weekdays, we've taken spur of the moment camping trips, I've helped out at my daughter's school, we've created a positive movement in One Small Change, we've made new friends, we've spread the word about many small businesses, and I've saved a lot of money by not getting hair cuts :).

There are times that I think about the guaranteed salary, health insurance, and paid holidays that I've given up but I would never trade that for the freedom to play with my kids all of the time, be able to work closely with my wife to build something that we truly believe in, and the flexibility to do the things we want to do.

It isn't all sunshine and rainbows though either. I never sleep in, we work very hard, and the money isn't piling up. We are doing fine but we are living a slightly simpler life, which is something we have chosen to do. Sure we ditched the gym membership, cable T.V., we aren't going on an European Vacation anytime soon (but we do love taking many Colorado trips), and both of our cars are 10 years old, but this is the life we have chosen and it is amazing.

Since day one Suzy and I have believed in the mission of Hip Mountain Mama. We believe in promoting green, natural, and attachment parenting products from small businesses. We believe that we can help save the planet in our own little way and we are moving towards that with our One Small Change initiative. We also believe that we can have the lives we want as long as we never lose sight of our original goals.

The future is very bright. We have many exciting things going on including the HMM Sisterhood, a referral program, and I will have a new site out in a few weeks. The new site is another effort to give back or 'Be the Change' so stay tuned for more information on that.

We sincerely appreciate our customers, readers, and fans. Our only source of income is Hip Mountain Mama and we couldn't do it without you. When you tell your friends about us, share our Facebook posts with your friends, or place an order you are making one hard working family very happy. You are making our dreams come true.

We are a family that knows what is important to us. We value small businesses, quality green products, and a simple lifestyle. Suzy dreamt up the beauty of Hip Mountain Mama. We never copied anyone else, we just went with what felt right and it has been amazing.

My only wish is that everyone else could find a lifestyle that fits them as well as Hip Mountain Mama has fit the Hawbaker's. It is with the highest gratitude that we check in at this one year point. We are so thankful for our success and we hope you also find your true place in this world as we have.

What An Amazing Year And So Much To Look Forward To...