September HiB30 Challenge Winners

Congratulations to the following winners who won these awesome prizes from our Hike it Baby prize sponsors Onya Baby, KEEN, Yogadownload.com, Garmin, and the Hike it Baby Shop! Just by registering for the HiB30 Challenge they were entered into our prize drawing at the end of each Challenge. It’s easy as that and so much fun! See what they had to say about their September Challenge experience!

What prize did you win? What will you do with it once you receive it?

Onya Baby Carrier
Libby Knapp hiked with Gordon, 6 months, and says, “I won an Onya Baby Carrier so I’m planning to use it! Having the option to cross straps during a front carry sounds like a huge relief in addition to using it as a highchair alternative.”

KEEN Footwear for the Family
Kristen McGuire hiked with Josie, 2 years, and says, “We won Keen shoes for the family! I was expecting to never win anything, so I’m really excited about such a generous prize. The hubs and I have been meaning to get some nice hiking boots, and Josie grows out of shoes so quickly that any new shoes for her will be wonderful!”

Yogadownload.com 6-month Membership
Jessa McCauley hiked with Neila, 2 years, and says, “I won an online yoga membership. I have never tried yoga, but this might be my impetus.”
Kristi Acheson hiked with Vera, 3 and Nora, 8 months, and says, “The yoga membership. I plan to be doing a lot more yoga!”

Garmin Vivofit
Janie Becker hiked with Ryker and Ripley, 8 months, and says, “Garmin Vivofit. I will use it to keep track of all the miles we’re going to rack up in the next challenge! And also to help me stay motivated to continue staying active.”

HiB Water Bottle
Annie Fortunato hiked with Neko, 4 years old, and says, “I won a Hike it Baby water bottle! I am super stoked! I love Hike it Baby swag and representing our group!”

Tell us how the HiB30 Challenge “challenged” you to get outdoors and get those miles!

Libby: My biggest motivator for the September HiB30 Challenge was my son’s love for leaves, trees, and everything outdoors. His grandma jokingly nicknamed him “”nature boy”” and he’s always leaping towards trees when held outdoors.  We joined the Cincinnati chapter in June for some hikes and once my husband took a new job in West Virginia, I really needed a challenge to motivate me through parenting my son alone. My husband visits when he can and he’ll return in December, but taking care of my soon-to-be seven month-old through all these major milestones can be trying. Hopefully we will all be hiking together once winter comes!

Kristen:  We love the challenges, because they make us get outside. Even on days where the weather is less than perfect, it gives us that extra push. Josie is a little nature girl, so she would happily play outside everyday, no matter the weather. Honestly, the challenge is more to get Mom’s butt moving, haha! We lead a weekly coffee/playground walk in Eagle River, AK, but during challenge months we do more other hikes… So we get more miles, see more friends, and explore more trails. 🙂

Jessa:  I have 3 kids under 3 years old, but I have found it’s easier to manage them out of the house. Maybe it’s because I am away from all the stuff I should be doing (laundry, dishes, etc) and am freer to live in the moment.

Kristi:  I have a bit of a competitive personality so I was driven to see our numbers (mileage) go up! Getting out the door with two littles was my biggest challenge.

Janie:  The weather is always changing here, and with such young babies, we had to make sure it wasn’t raining or too hot, etc. we also had a family emergency that took 2 days in a car for 8 hours each time and prevented us from walking those days.

Annie:  Having a 4 year old son who can tell me he didn’t want to go hiking made getting out on “hikes” more difficult. We got around it by going to outdoor festivals, geocaching, and walks to run errands. Tricking him into thinking it wasn’t a hike, basically!

Were you surprised at the miles you achieved?

Libby: I was surprised at the number of miles Gordon’s grandma helped him achieve. She didn’t even know about the challenge until I kept asking where they walked while I was at work. I am hoping she’ll still be on board for the November HiB30.

Kristen:  I almost didn’t sign up for this challenge… Josie’s birthday was at the beginning of the month, and family was visiting… So I assumed we wouldn’t get enough miles. Lucky for me, my husband pushed me to sign up and we hit our 30 easily! Between organized HIB hikes and walks around our neighborhood, we accomplished our goal with relative ease. It also helps that the Alaska State Fair was during this challenge, which is easily MANY miles of walking.

Jessa:  This was my first challenge, so I didn’t know what to expect. I figured around 30, but we actually got 40. I’ll set a higher goal for November.

Kristi:  I thought I would get less!

Janie:  I was hoping we would get more. My goal was to get in at least 50 miles, and we made it just over 32.

Annie:  I was shooting for 75 miles but only got about 68 miles. It was a bit of a bummer, but these challenges get us closer to our 500 miles for the year!

Did you learn any tips/tricks for getting little ones out from the other participants in the Challenge?

Libby: I learned to partner a hike time with nap time. Sure, I could get stuff done at home while my son naps, but I value getting fresh air above vacuuming!

Kristen: We’ve learned that weather can be unpredictable, but everyone is happier after some outside time. Waterproof suits are very popular in Alaska, and we kept our beloved Tuffo Muddy Buddy suit and boots in the car. Josie has a yellow suit, so she looks like a cute little hazmat specialist, haha! Nothing ruins a good time like a cold little one with a wet butt.

Jessa:  I have been asked how I hike so much. I have a dirty house. I would much rather my children remember a childhood spent outdoors than inside a pristine home.

Kristi:  My only trick is to just do it and not get frustrated midway through getting them or myself ready to go out the door.

Janie:  Ours are so young, they ride in a stroller or carrier, and they really enjoy both, so they loved the walks we took! We didn’t have any trouble getting them out to do it.

Annie:  Most of the families have little ones, so our family’s situation was a bit different than most. We did a lot of geocaching and outdoor festivals to get our miles in! Tricked him every time!

Thanks again to our awesome prize sponsors for supplying Hike it Baby with amazing prizes to share with our winners! Join in the next HiB30 Challenge for your chance to win!!