Backwoods MamaWinter

Candlemas: Celebrating the Midpoint of Winter with Children

Candlemas: Celebrating the Midpoint of Winter with Children

The midpoint of winter is the halfway mark between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. It typically takes place around February 2nd, but this date can vary slightly depending on the year. There are many beautiful traditions that celebrate the midpoint of...

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How to Make a Nature Ice Wreath

How to Make a Nature Ice Wreath

Brrrrr.... it's cold outside! An arctic outflow has blanketed our town with chilly weather. It's been so cold outside that our time in nature has been limited, especially with the baby. Despite the deep freeze my children and I have been embracing this cold weather...

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Magical Winter Picture Books for Children

Magical Winter Picture Books for Children

In our home, winter mornings are slow. After filling our bellies with warm oatmeal we snuggle together on the couch and slowly wake up to stories share aloud. Even as my children get older we still hold onto our winter morning ritual. Below are some of our favourite...

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A Delicious Traditional Winter Fruit Cake Recipe

A Delicious Traditional Winter Fruit Cake Recipe

For the longest time, I would do everything possible to avoid eating winter fruit cake. I found the cloyingly sweet cake with its fluorescent candied fruit strange and unpalatable. To be fair, I never had the opportunity to eat a traditional winter fruit cake until...

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How to Decorate an Outdoor Tree with Treats for Wildlife

How to Decorate an Outdoor Tree with Treats for Wildlife

Decorating an outdoor tree with healthy treats for local wildlife is a wonderful winter tradition that gives back to nature. It's a tradition that my children look forward to every winter. We often decorate a tree close to the Winter Solstice or Christmas Day but...

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How to Make Tree Ornament Seed Bombs (+ Free Printable)

How to Make Tree Ornament Seed Bombs (+ Free Printable)

When it comes to giving gifts during the holiday season, I'm all about hand-made earth friendly gifts. If I had the time to make all of my family and friends something handmade I would. However, it seems that time accelerates during the holiday season. Or maybe time...

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7 Fun Ways to Celebrate Saint Nicholas Day with Kids

7 Fun Ways to Celebrate Saint Nicholas Day with Kids

My children believe in Santa Claus. Not the fairy tale version of Santa Clause with his red suit, rotund belly, jolly laugh and flying reindeer but the man that inspired the legend: Saint Nicholas. Our family has been celebrating Saint Nicholas Day since my kids were...

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5 Reasons Kids Should Play Outside in the Winter

5 Reasons Kids Should Play Outside in the Winter

Winter has arrived and transformed the outdoor world into a magical place of snow, ice and twinkling stars. As the world outside becomes covered in fluffy snow and frosty ice, a deep quiet descends, but that hush, it seems, is more than the calming silence of snow....

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7 Winter Carnival Activities for Kids

7 Winter Carnival Activities for Kids

Winter Carnival traces its roots to Mardi Gras—a Christian feast day before the solemn season of Lent. Over time, that one day of celebration has blossomed into days, and in some places weeks, of winter revelry. In northern climates, Mardi Gras has evolved into Winter...

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KLO Creek Trail

KLO Creek Trail

The KLO Creek Trail starts at the north end of KLO Creek Regional Park in East Kelowna. There is a small parking area at the hairpin turn on McCulloch Road, about 200 meters past Field Road. The single track trail that starts at the parking lot meanders along KLO...

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6 Tips for Winter Hiking with Kids

6 Tips for Winter Hiking with Kids

Winter is a time for sledding, skating, skiing and snowshoeing! But what about hiking? Hiking might not be the first activity that comes to mind when deciding which winter activity to do with your kids, but it's actually a lot of fun to do in the winter. So from our...

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