The Stoke Fam

Is the summer heat getting to you and making it more challenging to adventure?Totally get it. In fact, a couple of weeks ago - during the 115°F heat wave - our oldest came downstairs at bedtime looking kinda rough. He was pale, a little clammy and said he felt nauseous.Right away, I noticed those as signs of potential heat exhaustion and started re-hydrating him and monitoring his temperature. Thankfully, after just an hour or so, he picked right back up, but it led me to share this information with our email list in our newsletter.Then, I realized that not everyone is on our email list (but you should totally join us here), so I wanted to share on our other channels as well. So, I reached out to some fellow adventure mamas on Instagram (who also happen to be nurses) to chat all about adventuring in the heat.I invited Sara from Koppa 7 Adventures (@koppa7adventures), Stephanie from @thebackpackingmom, and Rachel from @beboldlittelones to join me in this chat and it was so fun!And, then, we decided, why not turn it into a podcast episode for those of you who aren't on Instagram, so here we are!In this episode, we chat about:What we do to beat the heatGear and products we use to stay cool and hydratedHow we choose adventures when it's super hotHow we maintain motivationDealing with heat rashAnd more!We had so much fun during this conversation and one of my favorite things was that all of us are from different states and nursing backgrounds, so we have different experiences with the heat and we're able to share from different perspectives.Plus, these moms are just fun to chat to about anything!

If you've ever been curious about adventuring in a campervan, this is the episode for you!Our guest today is Gretchen from ROAMERICA and she's here today to share all about campervan adventures with kids.I'm super stoked about this episode because we've been fans of ROAMERICA for a long time, but Gretchen has a unique experience to share about why campervans are so great for her family.Gretchen and her partner, Taylor, own and operate ROAMERICA, a campervan rental company based in Hood River, OR and love to go on regular adventures with their girls. But, one of her favorite things to do is adventure solo with her girls.Gretchen shares how adventuring hasn't always been easy for her, how changing the way they did things made it possible, and tips for going solo with your kids.In this episode, we chat about:Making adventure fit your life, even if you have physical or other limitationsGretchen's favorite part about adventuring alone with her girlsIdeas of where to go camping in the PNWHow ROAMERICA can also help you plan your trips!And, much more! One of my favorite parts of this conversation is that Gretchen's desire for helping people experience the beauty of the PNW really shines through. It's clear that she loves bringing the same joy she experiences in the outdoors to others.Listen in to hear her best tips for managing young kids when there's only one of you, suggestions for getting started, and even a few tips for where to go. And, yes - we also chat about your bathroom options too!

One of the very first outdoor adventures we ever did with our kids was car camping. Whether you've been camping a few times or if this is your very first trip, this episode has something for you.John and I grew up with very different camping experiences - and, let's just say I still love being as comfy as possible. So, we share tips to get you out there and enjoy it - even if your idea of vacation is usually a 5-star hotel.

When you're considering full-time (or even short-term) international travel, there are lots of questions that come up. Where should we stay? How do we budget? Wait - what about communicating in another language?!?Our guest today is Adelaide from Talkbox.Mom and she's here to share her family's experience of traveling full time. I'm so excited to share this with you because she's a fellow homeschool mom who loves to travel.Plus, she has a unique talent - when she and her family arrive in a new country, they can start talking in that language right away. After about two weeks, they are talking and understanding the locals - and they are understanding them.Today, she is here to share with us her experience of traveling full-time with her family and how they made everything work. But, also, how to experience a new place even deeper by learning the language. With five kids, they've learned a lot about how to be plan the logistics, get creative and stretch their dollars.In this episode, we chat about:How Adelaide and her family transitioned to full-time travelHow to start speaking the language as soon as you arrive in a new country (or at home)Why learning a foreign language college style is setting you up for failure (a.k.a. verb conjugation isn't the best place to start)Tips for full time and international travel with kidsHow to get your kids invested in trip planning and budgetingLots of energy and laughs! I absolutely loved this fun, energetic conversation with Adelaide and I know you will too! One of my favorite parts was when she shared a time she let one of her kids choose where they went on vacation and they immediately chose....wait for it...Kansas!!

There's no doubt about it - travel and adventure can get expensive! Even more so if you have a large family.This week's guest is Sara from Koppa 7 Adventures. They are a - you guessed it! - family of 7 who loves to travel, explore nature, and adventure.With five kids, they've learned a lot about how to be plan the logistics, get creative and stretch their dollars.In this episode, we chat about:The logistics - how they manage work, school, and more.How they maximize their travel budget to travel regularly.When to save on lodging (and when to splurge).The learning opportunities that travel brings.Plus all kinds of incredible tips for packing and more! Click here for full show notes and links mentioned.

Growing up, my family spent countless weeks vacationing with my grandparents – usually, in Hilton Head, SC. Those vacations are some of my very best memories to this day.Which is why I'm stoked about our newest episode. In this show, Angelica from Toddlin' Across America shares her family's experience with multigenerational travel. Different from my childhood trips, her mother lives with them full time, and they have all even lived in an RV together! Angelica has some amazing tips for your next multigenerational vacation!In this episode, we chat about:The perks and challenges of traveling with grandparents.Packing tips to make your life easier.How they manage hotel rooms, etc. during vacations.The importance of communication and giving each person time on their own.And lots more!Click here for the full show notes and links mentioned in the show.

Have you ever wanted to just change your life?To do something big, bold, and maybe even a little bit scary?That's exactly what my guest, Nikki from Our Travel Anew, and her husband, Corey, did when they decided to make a huge move and live on a sailboat. They jumped in feet first - buying a sailboat, moving to Puerto Rico, and bringing along their two kids - a toddler and infant at the time.Despite all their planning, saving, and preparations, some things were simply out of their control. Mother nature had other plans...In this episode, we chat about:The ups and downs of adventure.What to do when things don't turn out how you planned.How to turn your "Failure into Fuel."The life-changing magic of having your kids carry their own $h!t stuff.

If you've ever been curious about snowboarding with kids, this one is for you!This week's show is a conversation between me & John all about how we started snowboarding and how we make it all work with our kids.And, though it may seem like an odd time of year for us to be putting this one out, I promise it's worth a listen now, BEFORE next season.In this episode, we chat about:How snowboarding almost ended our relationship.

Are you an adrenaline junkie?Our guests on the show this week definitely are! Savannah and Val from Xplr Create join us today to discuss how they went from racing to overlanding as a family. Full show notes here.The story of how they met at an international racing event - yes, for real - is so cool. It's no wonder that they love the adventure of overlanding!Needless to say, we're stoked about this conversation. We chatted about so many awesome things including:What really IS overlanding, anyway?How to get started in the simplest way possible.Their favorite way to cook when overlanding.How to find out where to go...And many more lessons and pro-tips along the way...

Backpacking sounds so awesome, but is it really possible with kids?Yup! And, believe it or not, it can even be fun!And, our guest today is here to prove it to you. I'm stoked to share this chat with Stephanie from The Backpacking Mom where she shares how she fell in love with backpacking from the start. Full show notes here. I love the story of her very first backpacking trip, where she didn't have all the things, but went anyway.Spoiler alert: She loved it.And, the lessons she shares from a trip that didn't go quite (okay, at all

Family adventures are the best, aren't they? Except when they aren't.Despite the fact that we (obviously) love family adventures around here, there's a lot of amazingness that can come from solo adventures, too.If you're feeling stressed and burnt out (and who isn't these days?!), they can be the perfect reset before heading back to your family.I know what you're thinking - because I was thinking it too. How does one actually DO that?Which is why I'm stoked to share my interview with Lydia from My Adventure Gang where we talk about things like:How she manages to take the kids camping and backpacking by herselfCoordinating solo adventure time (WITHOUT the kids) and actually making it happenSafety measures when hiking aloneAnd more...Full show notes here: https://thestokefam.com/how-to-make-solo-adventures-a-priority/

Welcome to The Stoke Fam! In this episode, we're starting off with an introduction, covering things like: our story, who handles rain better while camping, why we're doing this podcast, what you can expect from future episodes and a few things we're sure you can relate to.