About

My name is Linda, and I’m a Bay Area mom who loves to get outside for playtime every day with my son.  Our outdoor time may be social, solo, park or nature-based, near or at home, quick or lengthy, but, whatever form it takes, we make a point of getting outside every day.  Several times per week, I try to get outside without my son for much needed “me” time.  I’m a hiker, a trail runner, and an amateur photographer.

Several years ago, I started a playgroup, Nature Time!  The Bay Area Outdoor Playgroup, which now includes more than 600 families, hoping to create a community of parents getting together for fun, outdoor activities.  Through the management of the playgroup and through, even more, the outings we take as a family, I’ve learned some of the best places in the Bay Area for outdoor play and nature exploration. I’ve learned what can help make an outing more enjoyable, both for the parents and the children.  And I’m always finding new places and things to do!  Join me on our family explorations!

In this blog, I will share what I’ve learned, hoping it will help inspire others with children, encouraging families to get out into the outdoors more.  I write about the places we go, the things we do, what  we see, the benefits of outdoor play, and tips and tricks that make outside time fun.

I also believe time in nature without the kids, either solo or with friends, is of vital importance.  I also created and manage a hiking group for women in the San Francisco
East Bay, Striding Strong:  The East Bay Hiking Group for Women.  The membership in this group has now grown to more than 400.  As much as I love hiking with friends, I find peace and rejuvenation when hiking alone in nature, just me and my camera.  I like to share the beauty of what I see on these outings on this blog, too, hoping the images will inspire my readers to head outside, too.

Other ways to communicate with me:

Social groups I created in the San Francisco East Bay:

Contact Me:

If you would like to get in contact with me, simply complete and submit the form below.  I also enjoy receiving comments on my posts, so please feel free to “leave a reply” at any time. I try to respond to all comments.  I look forward to hearing from you!

PR Friendly:

This is a PR friendly blog, so if you have a product that might appeal to my readers (outdoor toys, nature and science kits, outdoor clothing for kids and women, hiking and camping gear, etc.), please send me a message.  I’d be happy to try out your product and write a review.   My passion is nature and the outdoors, but I also have an MBA with a concentration in marketing.  If anyone has a job lead for “nature marketing”, please let me know.  :)

Don’t miss a post!

To ensure you don’t miss any of my posts, please follow my blog via e-mail.  You’ll find the sign-up button on the top right section of this page.  Enjoy!

106 thoughts on “About”

  2. I just found your blog on another blog and decided to check you out. I am a Bay Area native temporarily living in Reno, and your pictures and blog satisfy my constant need for Bay Area beauty!

    Reply

  4. This blog looks full of inspiration for moms! I have grandchildren and I will have to steer my daughters toward your blog. Thank you much for stopping by Mrs. City Boy and liking my post!

    Reply

  11. Congratulations! I love your blog and have nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award.
    However, there are rules and I won’t be offended if you don’t want to follow them. I just wanted to share your blog with others.
    Ana (Jubilee Journey)

    Reply

  12. What’s your parenting style? You could be featured on a new cable series.

    Are you an attachment parent? Tiger Mom? A green parent? Free range? Authoritative? Permissive? Or do you have a style that’s all your own?

    We’re looking for moms and dads with unique perspectives on parenting for a new series on a top-rated national cable network. Please send your name, phone number, e-mail address, a description of your family/parenting style, and a photo to casting@punchedinthehead.com.

    More info available at http://punchedinthehead.com/casting.

    Reply

  13. Pingback: Mamatography 2013, Week 1 – Here we go! « A Nature Mom

  16. Pingback: Blogs That I Follow « Walking in Sonoma County…mostly

  20. Pingback: Very Inspiring Blogger Award « Picture Perfect Memories for life

  22. Pingback: 46. The Very Inspiring Blogger Award « Sofie's Diary

  30. Hi Linda (I am Linda as well!), congratulations on the success of your playgroup and your blogging awards! I wish we had a playgroup like that here but it gets entirely too hot in Arizona to spend that much time outdoors (not to mention all the cacti – ouch). My sister lives in the Bay Area so I will be sure to check out your blog for fun activities for the kids when we visit. Thanks again for liking my post!

    Reply

    • Watching children playing in nature is a beautiful thing! Hopefully their play today will result in a life-long love of nature and the outdoors. Not to mention the emotional and physical health benefits they receive today from being active outside…

      Reply

  37. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and enjoying it enough to follow me. I really hope you like my future post. I have looked over your blog post and I in return LOVE your blog too! So informative with some great advice. Your son is so adorable too! Have a blessed day! :)

    Reply

  38. Greetings dear Linda the nature mom! I had been intrigued seeing your name in conversations and thought I should visit. Wonderful work – or play! – you are doing there. You seem to live in an extraordinary part of the world also. I will come and explore more but the problem with WP is that you meet os many wonderful people but yet don’t get an extra 5 hours to your day … All best wishes and blessings, f

    Reply

    • I’m glad to have found your blog. Beautiful! And I totally understand… I, too, wish I had an extra 5 hours a day to read all the wonderful things people are writing (and photographing) out there. Glad to have “met” you!

      Reply

  39. Pingback: Dandelion Award for Sun 10th June 2012 « The Liberated Way

  41. Dear Linda! What a beautifully wholesome blog – love it! Looking forward to getting to know you and catching up with all that you’re doing. Warmest greetings from sunny Finland, Sharon

    Reply

  43. Thank you for following my blog -blueberryhillsfarm.wordpress.com
    I enjoyed reading your posts about all the outdoor activities that you are doing with children. Our two sons were home schooled and your posts reminded me of all the fun that we had exploring and discovering the natural world together. It is so important to teach young people to enjoy and nurture the environment and doing it in a fun, ‘hands on’ way is the best way to do it.
    I feel very lucky that my sons, now aged 18 and 19, still love to work alongside me in the garden and greenhouse and we are still learning about the wonders of nature together.

    Keep up the great ideas and have fun!

    Reply

    • That’s awesome that your boys still enjoy working alongside you! I found and am following your blog, not only because it’s absolutely beautiful, but because I’m sure I can learn from what you’re doing. Thanks!

      Reply

    • Thanks! It’s a great way to meet like-minded families, and to help those who may feel uncomfortable exploring nature on their own to get out there. The group now has more than 500 families!

      Reply

  46. Hi,
    Thanks for “liking” my post called “Nature AND Nurture”. I love the concept of your blog, and I’m right there with you as far as advocating for lots of time outdoors and in nature. In fact, my art program is very much about connecting art experiences to experiences in nature, and to children’s books that focus on nature. I wanted to direct you to my previous post, called “The Art of Springtime” http://artinhand.org/2012/04/09/the-art-of-springtime/ which is in article I have written all about this topic. Throughout the year, I will post articles featuring ways to tie creative experiences to what is going on in the natural world during each of the other 3 seasons…all focussed on early childhood, process oriented art and exploration. Hope you will find it interesting! ;)

    Reply

    • Thanks, Julie! I just read your Washington Parent article, and it’s wonderful. I especially like your beliefs about art. “Process over product” is very important to me. I avoid “product” art with my son (he doesn’t enjoy it, anyways), in favor of “playing” with art, though I may direct what art medium, tool, or technique we’ll be exploring any given day. I love your suggestions! I will follow your blog in the future, and I always enjoy comments on mine. Thanks again!

      Reply

  47. Love your blog, and your message about the importance of being outdoors (for so many reasons). Blogs are funny, and I wouldn’t have found yours if you hadn’t clicked “like” on our post about a baby turtle. We started our own blog about human powered adventures in the outdoors partly because we were reading other blogs about people doing really cool stuff.

    Keep up the good work in getting kids outdoors! Look forward to more posts (and we don’t even have kids besides Daisy trail dog).

    Reply

    • Thanks! I’ve actually enjoyed reading your blog before your recent turtle post. As a hiker, backpacker, traveler, etc, who isn’t able to get out as much as I used to (a temporary constraint of having a young child), I enjoy momentarily escaping parenthood by reading about the adventures of others. Plus, though it’s not my thing, my husband is a cyclocross racer / mountain bike guy. I’m looking forward to reading your posts in the future!

      Reply

  48. Hi there!

    I popped over after reading your comment on my blog (www.kidsingardens.com) Thank you for that! Looks like we have a lot in common, including letterboxing! Your son is so fortunate to have a Mom that sees the world in the way that you do!

    Reply

    • Thanks! I’m glad to have found your blog, and I look forward to reading more. When my son enters kindergarten next year, we’ll begin work with the program’s garden. Should be fun!

      Reply

  49. Thank you for sharing how we can enjoy God’s awesome wonders with our families. You inspire an appreciation for God’ s creation.

    Reply

Please Comment

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out / Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s