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	<title>Cragmama &#187; Green Hour Connection</title>
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	<link>http://cragmama.com</link>
	<description>&#34;Not all who wander are lost...&#34;  JRR Tolkien</description>
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		<title>Finding Nature (and Ducks!) in Unexpected Places</title>
		<link>http://cragmama.com/2013/05/finding-nature-and-ducks-in-unexpected-places/</link>
		<comments>http://cragmama.com/2013/05/finding-nature-and-ducks-in-unexpected-places/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 00:36:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erica</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Green Hour Connection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sentimental Snapshots]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[car-free]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chick-fila]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ducks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eco-friendly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wagon fun]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cragmama.com/?p=12528</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;That Mommy Duck is peeking at me!&#8221; C shouted excitedly as he slid over to make room for me and the rest of our food at our table.  It was a Friday night, which of course meant we were at Chick-fila.  Ever since we moved to Charlotte (and actually even before then), our family has had a long-standing tradition of heading to the neighborhood Chick-fila on Friday evenings when we aren&#8217;t heading off on a climbing trip for the weekend.  When the weather is nice and the days are long, we walk, usually pulling C in the wagon and waving&#8230;<a class="contRead" href="http://cragmama.com/2013/05/finding-nature-and-ducks-in-unexpected-places/">Read the rest of this entry &#8594;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>5 Ways to Have Fun With Strawberries This Season!</title>
		<link>http://cragmama.com/2013/05/5-ways-to-have-fun-with-strawberries-this-season/</link>
		<comments>http://cragmama.com/2013/05/5-ways-to-have-fun-with-strawberries-this-season/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2013 11:00:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erica</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Green Hour Connection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Practicalities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hall Family Farm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[healthy eating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nutrition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smoothies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strawberries]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cragmama.com/?p=12637</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Strawberry season is without a doubt one of my favorite times of the year.  A bucket overflowing with plump, juicy red strawberries held triumphantly by a toddler with red-stained hands and face is a joyful image indeed!  And now that the season is upon us, I thought it would be fitting to share a few of our family&#8217;s favorite strawberry-related activities&#8230; PICK YOUR OWN:  Growing up I can remember every year driving to the local farm with my mom, often several nights per week, all throughout the month of May.  We&#8217;d pick 4, eat 2, then drop the rest in&#8230;<a class="contRead" href="http://cragmama.com/2013/05/5-ways-to-have-fun-with-strawberries-this-season/">Read the rest of this entry &#8594;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>15 Simple Ways Your Family Can Go Greener&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://cragmama.com/2013/04/15-simple-ways-your-family-can-go-greener/</link>
		<comments>http://cragmama.com/2013/04/15-simple-ways-your-family-can-go-greener/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:00:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erica</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Green Hour Connection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Practicalities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[being green]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[earth day]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eco-friendly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[healthy lifestyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[saving money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soapbox]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cragmama.com/?p=12592</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In case you didn&#8217;t know it, today is EARTH DAY!  Today (and on every April 22nd since 1970), there will be thousands of environmental awareness events going on in communities worldwide.  Schools, libraries, workplaces, and parks will be buzzing with festivals, workshops, and eco-friendly activities geared towards promoting education about environmental issues.  For our family, it&#8217;s a good reminder to reevaluate the efforts our family has (or has not) been making to protect the earth for the past year.   Why is the message of environmental stewardship important for families?  On a personal, spiritual level, I believe that one of&#8230;<a class="contRead" href="http://cragmama.com/2013/04/15-simple-ways-your-family-can-go-greener/">Read the rest of this entry &#8594;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>448 Great Things To Do in Nature Before You Grow Up</title>
		<link>http://cragmama.com/2013/04/448-great-things-to-do-in-nature-before-you-grow-up/</link>
		<comments>http://cragmama.com/2013/04/448-great-things-to-do-in-nature-before-you-grow-up/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 20 Apr 2013 11:00:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erica</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gear Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Green Hour Connection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nature books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[outdoor ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spring]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cragmama.com/?p=12496</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s no secret that we love being outdoors around here.  Spring, summer, winter, fall&#8230;we&#8217;re out enjoying whatever Mother Nature has to offer throughout the year.  So when authors Stacy Tornio and Ken Keffer asked me to review their newest book in the Falcon Guides series &#8211; &#8220;The Kids&#8217; Outdoor Adventure Book: 448 Great Things To Do in Nature Before You Grow Up&#8221; &#8211; I was delighted.  And as soon as I started flipping through the first few pages, I knew that this was a book that would be on our shelves as a reference for many years to come! Divided&#8230;<a class="contRead" href="http://cragmama.com/2013/04/448-great-things-to-do-in-nature-before-you-grow-up/">Read the rest of this entry &#8594;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Why You Should Let Your Kids Run Around Barefoot&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://cragmama.com/2013/04/why-you-should-let-your-kids-run-around-barefoot/</link>
		<comments>http://cragmama.com/2013/04/why-you-should-let-your-kids-run-around-barefoot/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:00:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erica</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Green Hour Connection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Practicalities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[around the house]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[backyard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[barefeet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[child development]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cragmama.com/?p=12340</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;It&#8217;s fluffy Mommy!&#8221;, announced C excitedly, as he danced and jumped around in the soft, tickly grass in our backyard.  Those first few barefoot days of spring are priceless &#8211; reconnecting us with the earth in the last gasps of winter.  For our family, footwear has always been optional in warm weather.  It&#8217;s not like we&#8217;re dirty hippies - we wear shoes to church, school, and the grocery store.  But shoes are the first to come off when we arrive back home, both inside and out when the weather is warm.  I&#8217;ll be honest, for us it&#8217;s always just been a comfort thing &#8211; who doesn&#8217;t&#8230;<a class="contRead" href="http://cragmama.com/2013/04/why-you-should-let-your-kids-run-around-barefoot/">Read the rest of this entry &#8594;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Trip to the Zoo!</title>
		<link>http://cragmama.com/2013/03/a-trip-to-the-zoo/</link>
		<comments>http://cragmama.com/2013/03/a-trip-to-the-zoo/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:00:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erica</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Adventures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Green Hour Connection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Practicalities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[columbia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Riverbanks Zoo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zoo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cragmama.com/?p=12240</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;I saw an alligator.  He was sleepytime and he did NOT say RAWR!&#8221;  Just one of the many snippets of conversation I overheard between my toddler and and a random woman sitting beside us on the tram.  It all started when she asked him if he was having fun at the zoo&#8230;she then got a full dissertation on every animal we&#8217;d seen so far that day.  I kept my mouth shut and just listened to his renditions of our experience, as his perspective is always fascinating.  He informed her that the baboons had pink-bottoms, the elephants have dirty ears, and that he saw camels&#8230;<a class="contRead" href="http://cragmama.com/2013/03/a-trip-to-the-zoo/">Read the rest of this entry &#8594;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Toddler Science Experiments:  Ice Ice Baby!</title>
		<link>http://cragmama.com/2013/02/toddler-science-experiments-ice-ice-baby/</link>
		<comments>http://cragmama.com/2013/02/toddler-science-experiments-ice-ice-baby/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:34:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erica</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Green Hour Connection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nature craft ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[toddler science experiments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cragmama.com/?p=11830</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[All winter long I&#8217;d been wanting to do a science experiment with C involving water turning to ice, but our sub-freezing temps have been few and far between (and for some reason, using the freezer felt like cheating&#8230;unless it was July, of course).  But one day last week we finally saw the forecast we&#8217;d been waiting for &#8211; a low of 22!  We gathered our supplies and headed outside.  Here&#8217;s how our experiment worked: 1.  Collect - We walked around the yard with a large muffin tin, picking up nature items off the ground.  We used twigs, pine needles, clover,&#8230;<a class="contRead" href="http://cragmama.com/2013/02/toddler-science-experiments-ice-ice-baby/">Read the rest of this entry &#8594;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>When the Weather Gets Wet&#8230;Throw on a Rain Jacket!</title>
		<link>http://cragmama.com/2013/02/when-the-weather-gets-wet-throw-on-a-rain-jacket/</link>
		<comments>http://cragmama.com/2013/02/when-the-weather-gets-wet-throw-on-a-rain-jacket/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Feb 2013 12:44:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erica</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Green Hour Connection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adventure suit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beatty park]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hiking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oakiwear]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rainy days]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cragmama.com/?p=11346</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Not sure if anyone else around the country can relate, but North Carolina has been having some really weird weather lately.  I&#8217;ve seen lows in the 20&#8242;s (accompanied by ice) and high&#8217;s in the 70&#8242;s (accompanied by heavy winds) in the span of just one week.  C and I decided to take advantage of one of the warmer days last week with a morning hike at Beatty Park.  The forecast had called for rain, but not until the afternoon, so I packed some water and snacks while C took on the arduous task of deciding which bulldozers got to join us on&#8230;<a class="contRead" href="http://cragmama.com/2013/02/when-the-weather-gets-wet-throw-on-a-rain-jacket/">Read the rest of this entry &#8594;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A North Carolina Snow Day &#8211; We Take What We Can Get Around Here&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://cragmama.com/2013/01/a-north-carolina-snow-day-we-take-what-we-can-get-around-here/</link>
		<comments>http://cragmama.com/2013/01/a-north-carolina-snow-day-we-take-what-we-can-get-around-here/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jan 2013 02:11:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erica</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Green Hour Connection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[imagination]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sledding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cragmama.com/?p=11217</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[  Those of you from other, colder, parts of the country may have heard the almost apocalyptic-sounding tales of the events that surround any weather forecast that happens to mention the words &#8220;winter precipitation&#8221; down here in the South.  As soon as those words are said, families kick it into high gear.  Moms run to the grocery store to buy bread and milk (which is invariably a waste of time because the shelves will be empty within hours of the announcement.)  Dads fire up the generators and dust off the sleds from the attic, and all the children sit anxiously in front of the TV, hoping&#8230;<a class="contRead" href="http://cragmama.com/2013/01/a-north-carolina-snow-day-we-take-what-we-can-get-around-here/">Read the rest of this entry &#8594;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Two Happy Hikers on a Simple Adventure</title>
		<link>http://cragmama.com/2013/01/two-happy-hikers-on-a-simple-adventure/</link>
		<comments>http://cragmama.com/2013/01/two-happy-hikers-on-a-simple-adventure/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Jan 2013 03:22:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Erica</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Adventures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Green Hour Connection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hiking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[keep it simple]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McDowell Nature Preserve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cragmama.com/?p=11046</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;I don&#8217;t want Daddy to go to work tomorrow,&#8221; said a sweet little Cragbaby the Sunday after New Year&#8217;s.  He&#8217;d grown quite  comfortable with the idea of having Daddy around to play with him all day over the holidays (and to be honest, I had too!)  I knew that the good-bye at breakfast Monday morning had the potential to be kinda rough.  So I decided to plan a fun adventure for just the two of us, hoping that any lingering sadness about Daddy being gone would be counteracted by enthusiasm about our special day.  Since C has had so much fun trekking&#8230;<a class="contRead" href="http://cragmama.com/2013/01/two-happy-hikers-on-a-simple-adventure/">Read the rest of this entry &#8594;</a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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