If you have empty cardboard boxes at home, re-purpose them into something that will spark little imaginations and give children hours of enjoyment. I painted an empty white box and turned it into a simple castle for little fairy princesses and knights to play with.  I used craft paints to draw the towers, windows and the entrance. I added glitz and other crafty bits I found around the house. I assembled the castle in the garden and the girls got super excited.  They dressed up as princesses and played the whole afternoon with it.

It’s a great way to encourage imagination and creativity.

Share a magical day with children outdoors by building a fairy house. We brought the girls to a park nearby surrounded by enchanting old trees. The weather was perfect for exploring and collecting nature treasures and Maya gathered a few wild flowers, dried leaves, grass, tree bark, twigs and pebbles.  She built a tiny fairy house beside a tree in the forest.

Outdoor activities spark imagination and creativity.

Esplorare e Creare; Costriuiamo la casetta delle fate

Passiamo una giornata incantata con bambini all’aria aperta costruendo una casetta delle fate. Siamo andati in un parco pieno di alberi vecchissimi. Il tempo era perfetto per esplorare. Maya ha raccolto fiori salvatici,  foglie secche, erbe, corteccia, ramoscelli e sassolini per costruire questa casetta vicino un albero nel bosco.

Attività all’aria aperta stimolano immaginazione e la creatività.

Camping Sasso Remenno

Erminia, the reason we come back to Camping Remenno every year.

Mauri will make sure you’ll have the best stay in Camping Remenno

Valmasino, a great valley in northern Lombardia is a wonderful natural paradise. A favorite destination of boulderers and rock climbers who love granite rocks and spectacular mountain summits. It’s the birthplace of bouldering in Italy and it’s considered as the “Italian Yosemite” by many. It’s also a lovely place for people who want to relax in a beautiful surrounding and outdoor enthusiasts who prefer an active holiday. Throughout the valley, one can find endless scenic beauty with opportunities for hiking, cycling, bouldering, rock climbing and other outdoor activities.

It is also known for hosting MELLOBLOCCO, the world’s biggest bouldering event held every first week of May where thousands of boulderers and climbers around the world; beginners, amateurs, advanced and even world-known climbers join together to enjoy this sport in a splendid natural surroundings of Val Masino. This year’s event was an all-around success, with 2,600 people who registered and over 4,000 attendees. Behind this event are amazing people who put a lot of effort, hard work and great passion in organizing and promoting this sport. It’s an honor to be a part of such an outstanding event! To share the thrill of the sport and beauty of Val Masino, my husband, Oscar created a video of our trip a couple of years ago. It’s an event we await every year.

WHERE TO STAY

From camping sites, traditional hotels to bed and breakfasts, there are countless wonderful options to choose from in this valley! We usually stay at CAMPING SASSO REMENNO, nestled in the center of Val Masino. It’s run by a wonderful family that we truly adore. Their hospitality is the reason why we come to this place every year. Erminia welcomes the guests with open arms. You can find her at the reception willing to help everyone. Mauro prefers to work around the campsite and he also cooks delicious food for the guests. The family will make sure and will do everything possible to make your stay the best it can be. If you want to go for a hike and eat good food, we recommend RIFUGIO LUNA NASCENTE. Try tradional dishes in this region. Pizzocherri, a pasta, made with buckwheat flour and wheat flour cooked with green, cabbage and cubed potatoes dressed with garlic and sage that are lightly fried in butter together. Bresaola, a delicious cold cut from northern Italy and frequently served sliced paper thin on a bed of arugola with flakes of Parmesan cheese and seasoned with ground black pepper and extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.

Our climbing gang with Siro (at the middle) the owner of Rifugio Luna Nascente

Inside the cozy Rifugio after our sumptuous dinner.

HOW TO GET THERE

For detailed instructions, check out the link below http://www.melloblocco.it/en/where-we-are/

Looking for kids activities to celebrate Earth Day?  Go to an eco-park or find a field to run with your brood.    We love going to a park where families can spend a wonderful afternoon together.    There’s actually one a few minutes away from our house.   The girls adore collecting wild daisy flowers.  When they saw a field of wild daisies, they went wild and started running around the field.

They collected a handful of these flowers and put them in a tiny vase with water.    Daisy derives from the phrase “day’s eye”, referring to the fact that the daisy flower opens up during the day and they all close during the night.  The flower buds and leaves are edible and sometimes used in salads, desserts and infusions.

Sent from my iPhone

We filled our garden with easter eggs and organized an Easter Egg Hunt last Tuesday. I filled the easter eggs with different colored feathers and used them to make a craft. The kids had a wonderful time glueing the feathers on their egg shape cardboard. A simple and fun activity for kids this easter…

We filled our garden with easter eggs and organized an Easter Egg Hunt last Tuesday. I filled the easter eggs with different colored feathers and used them to make a craft. The kids had a wonderful time glueing the feathers on their egg shape cardboard. A simple and fun activity for kids this easter…

Ten years ago, I woke up, put on my white dress and vowed to spend the rest of my life with this man. To my ultimate partner to this so called dance of life… Cheers to Ten Years!

Celebrating a Decade of Togetherness!

Ten years ago, I woke up, put on my white dress and vowed to spend the rest of my life with this man. To my ultimate partner to this so called dance of life… Cheers to Ten Years!

Celebrating a Decade of Togetherness!

Here it is!!! After months of writing, illustrating, editing and re-editing…

You can finally get your own copy of my new book!

I’m super excited to share this with you all!

WHEN INSPIRATION STRIKES: Raising Children and Nurturing Families Closer To Nature.

Included are:

easy-to-follow arts and crafts using nature and recycled materials,
outdoor activities while exploring nature with little preparation,
informative looks at different outdoor getaways,
tips for getting the family to go outside and start living green.

There are tons of ideas to get inspired, learn, ponder and celebrate life through nature. It is also a practical guide for parents in getting children outside and instilling respect for nature. An absolute must for parents who want to wean children off TV, videogames and all those electronic devices.

A book available in bookstores & online.  Purchase your very own copy….

Amazon.com

Barnes and Noble

Authorhouse.com

Here it is!!! After months of writing, illustrating, editing and re-editing… You can finally get your own copy of my new book!

I’m super excited to share this with you!

WHEN INSPIRATION STRIKES: Raising Children and Nurturing Families Closer To Nature. Included are:

easy-to-follow arts and crafts using nature and recycled materials,
outdoor activities while exploring nature with little preparation,
informative looks at different outdoor getaways,
tips for getting the family to go outside and start living green.

There are tons of ideas to get inspired, learn, ponder and celebrate life through nature. It is also a practical guide for parents in getting children outside and instilling respect for nature. An absolute must for parents who want to wean children off TV, videogames and all those electronic devices.

A book available in bookstores & online. To learn more or to purchase your very own copy
Amazon.com

Barnes and Noble

Authorhouse.com

This Valentine’s Day, make your own card for your loved ones using veggies.   Lettuce, celery or fennels can be used to create elegant cards.  Use these produce to create natural flower stamps. Make your own stamp pads and enjoy stamping floral pattern on paper.

INSTRUCTIONS

This Valentine’s Day, make your own card for your loved ones using veggies.   Lettuce, celery or fennels can be used to create elegant cards.  Use these produce to create natural flower stamps. Make your own stamp pads and enjoy stamping floral pattern on paper.

INSTRUCTIONS

One of my new years resolution this year is to create more art.  These past few weeks, I spent hours and hours nurturing my creative side. And I think I overdid it.

I started sorting out some of my artworks that I’ll be using for the book!  It’s almost finished and about to be printed!

It’s so cool that my little girls love to do everything I do.  Got hold of the basic children art supplies for them too. This way, they can just jump in whenever they feel like creating art with me. I just let them use and experiment with all the materials and different methods.  Children feel more creative when they have more freedom to express themselves. Once in awhile, I put aside those grown-up rules and try to enjoy with my kids.  Make a mess, play and explore with them.

Start fostering each one’s creativity.  

Get a sketchbook.  Write a quote you love and sketch something with it.  Find images that make you happy and sketch them.  Make silly drawings or versions of whatever your kids are making.  

Just make time for Art!

One of my new years resolution this 2014 is to create more art.  These past few weeks, spent hours and hours nurturing my creative side. And I think I overdid it.

Finally… I have started sorting out some of my artworks that I’ll be using for the book!  It’s almost finished and I’ll have it printed in a few weeks!

It’s so cool that my little girls love to do everything I do.  Got hold of the basic children art supplies for them too. This way, they can just jump in whenever they feel like creating art with me. I just let them use and experiment with all the materials and different methods.  Children feel more creative when they have more freedom to express themselves. Once in awhile, I put aside those grown-up rules and try to enjoy with my kids.  Make a mess, play and explore with them.

Start fostering each one’s creativity in your family!  

Get a sketchbook.  Write a quote you love and sketch something with it.  Find images that make you happy and sketch them.  Make silly drawings or versions of whatever your kids are making.  

Just make time for Art!

Ciao!

We’ve been very busy creating a book.  It’s in the final stages, ready to be printed in 3 to 4 months. I’m currrently  illustrating some sections.   Our book campaign got approved! Please feel free to read about our dream project!

Please free to read about our project;

http://pubslush.com/books/id/1119

Ciao!

We’ve been very busy creating a book.  It’s in the final stages, ready to be printed in 3 to 4 months. I’m currrently  illustrating some sections.   Our book campaign got approved! Please feel free to read about our dream project!

Please free to read about our project;

http://pubslush.com/books/id/1119

When I arrived in Italy 9 years ago,  Halloween wasn’t so popular here.  I remember waiting for kids but no came to get treats on my first Halloween.   A few years after, we had a small costume party at work.  I ended up the only one who came with a costume and everyone else stared at me dressed up as a witch.

Things have changed since then.  Italians have started to adopt Halloween in their culture and it’s now widespread in Italy.  Shops started selling spooky decorations, costumes for children and adults.  Children started knocking on our door a few years ago saying; Dolcetto o scherzetto  (Trick or treat). People, shops and restaurants now organize costume and Halloween theme parties and people around started to dress up in real costumes and actually have fun!

This year , Maya  asked about a lot of things about Halloween and asked what to wear this year.  To get into the spirit of Halloween, I bought cute pumpkin dress for Maya and a black cape for Alisha.   Yesterday, I saw these thin crisps in pumpkin shapes and decided to bake Halloween biscuits.   We just prepared our dough.  If you feel creative,  cut them  into shapes.   Ghosts, pumpkins, bats are easy shapes to make.   For those who have less time, create round shapes or just use ready made biscuits and create web effect icing.   For the icing, we used powdered sugar with a small amount of water and  added some food coloring.   A simple fun activity to do with toddlers this Halloween!

When I arrived in Italy 9 years ago,  Halloween wasn’t so popular here.  I remember waiting for kids but no came to get treats on my first Halloween.   A few years after, we had a small costume party at work.  I ended up the only one who came with a costume and everyone else stared at me dressed up as a witch.

Things have changed since then.  Italians have started to adopt Halloween in their culture and it’s now widespread in Italy.  Shops started selling spooky decorations, costumes for children and adults.  Children started knocking on our door a few years ago saying; Dolcetto o scherzetto  (Trick or treat). People, shops and restaurants now organize costume and Halloween theme parties and people around started to dress up in real costumes and actually have fun!

This year , Maya  asked about a lot of things about Halloween and asked what to wear this year.  To get into the spirit of Halloween, I bought cute pumpkin dress for Maya and a black cape for Alisha.   Yesterday, I saw these thin crisps in pumpkin shapes and decided to bake Halloween biscuits.   We just prepared our dough.  If you feel creative,  cut them  into shapes.   Ghosts, pumpkins, bats are easy shapes to make.   For those who have less time, create round shapes or just use ready made biscuits and create web effect icing.   For the icing, we used powdered sugar with a small amount of water and  added some food coloring.   A simple fun activity to do with toddlers this Halloween!

This month, Oscar and I managed to gather a group of friends and organize a climbing trip to Fontainebleau.   We’ve been dreaming of sharing the magnificence and immensity of FONT with the perfect company.

Three amazing days with our dear friends;

Nana,  Alex,  Sandro, Salvatore and Elizabetta.

 Oscar and I made several trips to Fontainebleau but the place always fill me with awe.  It never fails to amaze me. Only a few places in the world have this unique magical atmosphere.

A natural beauty;  a forest scattered with immense perfect sandstone boulders, surrounded with pine and oak trees , soft sand providing us perfect landings.

Distinct rock features similar to a turtle shell, smooth and rare.

A vast choice of boulder circuits, with magnificent and delicate lines for all different levels.

No other place that can truly humble and teach at the same time.

Every climb is a gateway to something new, refining our climbing skills to the fullest.

It was just pure joy to be back in Fontainebleau. The place where it all began way back in 1870,  when french alpinists discovered that bouldering in Font was another way to prepare for their future alpine expeditions, climbing at its purest.

Pierre Allain 1938
Photos courtesy Editions Guerin-Chamoni

 Being in Font is like experiencing the past.   In the 12th century a castle  was built,  Chateau Fontainebleau.

It served as a royal residence and hunting lodge for french royalty for more than 700 years .   The french leaders  adored the vast surrounding forest and made it their hunting ground.

Nowadays, climbers from all parts of the world,  flock to Fontainebleau for a similar motive.   Also to hunt,  not for deers and wild boars,  but  for new challenges and simply experience the splendor of Fontainebleau.

Filed under: Climbing, Traveling Tagged: Boulder, Fontainebleau, Rock climbing

This month, Oscar and I managed to gather a group of friends and organize a climbing trip to Fontainebleau.   We’ve been dreaming of sharing the magnificence and immensity of FONT with the perfect company.

Three amazing days with our dear friends;  Nana,  Alex, Sandro, Salvatore and Elizabetta.

 Oscar and I made several trips to Fontainebleau but the place always fill me with awe.  It never fails to amaze me. Only a few places in the world have this unique magical atmosphere.

A natural beauty;  a forest scattered with immense perfect sandstone boulders, surrounded with pine and oak trees , soft sand providing us perfect landings.

Distinct rock features similar to a turtle shell, smooth and rare.

A vast choice of boulder circuits, with magnificent and delicate lines for all different levels.

No other place that can truly humble and teach at the same time.

Every climb is a gateway to something new, refining our climbing skills to the fullest.

It was just pure joy to be back in Fontainebleau. The place where it all began way back in 1870,  when french alpinists discovered that bouldering in Font was another way to prepare for their future alpine expeditions, climbing at its purest.

Pierre Allain 1938
Photos courtesy Editions Guerin-Chamoni

 Being in Font is like experiencing the past.   In the 12th century a castle  was built,  Chateau Fontainebleau.

It served as a royal residence and hunting lodge for french royalty for more than 700 years .   The french leaders  adored the vast surrounding forest and made it their hunting ground.

Nowadays, climbers from all parts of the world,  flock to Fontainebleau for a similar motive.   Also to hunt,  not for deers and wild boars,  but  for new challenges and simply experience the splendor of Fontainebleau.

Filed under: Climbing, Traveling Tagged: Boulder, Fontainebleau, Rock climbing

If you love the nature as much as you love adventure, get into Rock Climbing.  Families, children, a group of friends can just stick together and discover a new skill.  Local indoor climbing gyms offer courses for anyone who wants to get the thrill of climbing.  Basic equipment are usually provided or can be rented.  Find a certified instructor to teach you all basic techniques before you set outdoors.

Change your sedentary habits for a healthy lifestyle with your children.  Rock Climbing is also a great activity for the family to bond together while enjoying nature and creating lifelong memories for everyone.  Young kids just love to climb on anything making them natural climbers and usually excel in the sport quickly than adults.  Children can actually start as early as four years old.  Equipments for very young climbers are available in the market such as helmets, baby rock shoes and full body harness. Special designed courses with fun games and engaging climbing activities are usually included in the climbing program for youngsters to enjoy this sport.

Enjoy a video that my husband, Oscar created a couple of years ago to remember an unforgettable  rock climbing trip get together with other climbers, outdoor enthusiasts and special friends .

If you love the nature as much as you love adventure, get into Rock Climbing.  Families, children, a group of friends can just stick together and discover a new skill.  Local indoor climbing gyms offer courses for anyone who wants to get the thrill of climbing.  Basic equipment are usually provided or can be rented.  Find a certified instructor to teach you all basic techniques before you set outdoors.

Change your sedentary habits for a healthy lifestyle with your children.  Rock Climbing is also a great activity for the family to bond together while enjoying nature and creating lifelong memories for everyone.  Young kids just love to climb on anything making them natural climbers and usually excel in the sport quickly than adults.  Children can actually start as early as four years old.  Equipments for very young climbers are available in the market such as helmets, baby rock shoes and full body harness. Special designed courses with fun games and engaging climbing activities are usually included in the climbing program for youngsters to enjoy this sport.

Enjoy a video that my husband, Oscar created a couple of years ago to remember an unforgettable  rock climbing trip get together with other climbers, outdoor enthusiasts and special friends .

During playtime, stockpiles of playfood, different fruits & veggies, all kinds of meat, cakes and ice cream, pots, pans and all cooking utensils, everything in miniature sizes, mountains and mountains of toys scattered all over, taking over the house! These two little girls just love to play and they also love to pretend. Maya would feed her favorite doll and Alisha would drag her mini grocery cart around the house pretending like adults. These two young chefs also enjoy playing with their mini kitchen with built it oven, microwave and dishwasher. It’s a very pretty kitchen and perfect for their size. Really cute, I wish I had one for my size! Their favorite activity to play is baking an imaginary chocolate cake.

Today, the girls’ fantasy turned into reality. Saniah, a good friend of mine, gave these budding chefs a first hand experience of baking. We actually stumbled upon a very simple recipe that requires only 3 ingredients: nutella, flour and eggs. We immediately rummage through the fridge and pantry. Found all of them and they just began baking!

Maya was given tasks like cracking the egg (with Saniah’s help, of course), mixing the batter, spooning into the pan and sprinkling mixed nuts. Here’s a sneak preview of this special kiddie baking lesson!

After that, we went to the garden and savored what came out from the oven. We all declared it was a yummy cake! Great work Maya and Saniah! How I wish they can prepare dinner every evening… ☺
Thank you for a great day!