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Linda@lindamcgurk.com

Linda-455-low-res

rainorshinemamma

Swedish American author, speaker and nature play advocate🌿 Living an open-air life⛺️ Start here👇🏼

Raise a hand if you like winter camping or would l

Raise a hand if you like winter camping or would love to give it a go🙋🏼‍♀️❄️⛺️ I was 40+ when I started doing it and believe me, it’s not that hard! But wait, isn’t it cold and miserable? Nope, it certainly doesn’t have to be. These are my tips for staying warm during a cold night out:

🔥 Try not to work up a sweat before you settle for the night. Crawling into your sleeping bag wet will chill you down.
🔥 If you’re at all moist at bedtime, change into a dry base layer and socks before going to bed.
🔥 Your sleeping bag doesn’t generate any heat, it only preserves the heat you have, so do some jumping jacks or other movements to get warm before bedtime.
🔥 Heat some water and let a Nalgene bottle do double duty as a hot water bottle.
🔥 If you don’t have a special winter sleeping bag, use two regular bags, preferably one down.
🔥 Dress warmly but don’t bundle up so much that air can’t circulate in the sleeping bag. I usually sleep in a wool base layer, wool socks, down jacket, mittens and hat.
🔥 Put the clothes that you’re going to wear in the next day inside your sleeping bag, so they’re nice and warm when you put them on in the morning.

So tell me, is this something you’d like to try?
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #friluftsliv #camping #winter #wintercamping #outdoorlife #openairlife #openair #lifeisbetteroutside

The cover of the Serbian edition of my book “The

The cover of the Serbian edition of my book “There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather,” to be published by @vulkan_knjige soon! They changed the title to a Serbian idiom which literally translates to “If it’s winter, it’s not a lion” which essentially means the same thing as the Scandinavian saying. My name got a makeover too, in accordance with Serbian linguistic rules for translation of foreign names😅

I LOVE seeing my book being translated and published in different countries, since that means the message of children’s right to outdoor play will reach even more people🥰 I actually just got a message from a reader who wondered if it’s available in German and sadly the answer is no. So if you know of any German acquisition editors who should check it out, have them contact my agent @meg_thompson. End of shameless self promotion post🤣
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #friluftsliv #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booksofig

Did you know that every year, almost 200 BILLION p

If you were late for work today because slick and

If you were late for work today because slick and snowy roads are causing pileups, I realize this isn’t the best day to ask you to rethink your misgivings about of winter. I understand that winter weather can be inconvenient frustrating and downright hazardous in some situations. But please hear me out❄️😅

I haven’t always been a huge fan of winter either. When I was in my twenties, I was so sensitive to cold temperatures that I would barely go swimming in Sweden – in the summertime! I liked winter for the skiing, yet I often found myself longing for summer and
warm weather☀️

Then I had kids and realized that I didn’t want my negative feelings about winter to rub off on them and for them to think that they should just stay inside for half the year. So, I tapped into the friluftsliv culture that I was raised in and decided to embrace all the seasons,
including the cold, snow and blustery winds🙏🏻

There are days when this is easier said than done. But I really believe that our attitudes can become self-fulfilling prophecies and that having a positive outlook even when the weather forces us out of our comfort zone can help shape our experience for the better.

The driveway still needs shoveled but instead of seeing it as a chore I appreciate the reason to go outside and be physically active. Sometimes I meditate while shoveling, sometimes I listen to an audiobook. Most of the time I just enjoy the brief break from mental clutter and the feeling of being outside. It’s all about perspective🙃

Happy Friday!🤗🥰
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #openairlife #friluftsliv #snow #winter #winterweather

Just got a sneak peek of the cover for the Slovak

Just got a sneak peek of the cover for the Slovak edition of The Open-Air Life!😍🥰 It’s so interesting to see how different publishers adapt both the title and the graphics of my book to suit their particular market. The title in Slovak translates to “All you have to do is get some fresh air: How to live better and longer thanks to the nature.” What do you think?📚
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#theopenairlife #theopenairlifebook
@bc_books @meg_thompson

What we did today😅 How is your Saturday going?

What we did today😅 How is your Saturday going?
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #friluftsliv #openairlife #coldplunge #winterswimming

When retired nursing professor @verla_fortier was

When retired nursing professor @verla_fortier was diagnosed with systemic lupus, she changed her life with a chronic disease diagnosis by spending more time outside, near trees, plants and shrubs. Verla and I have a lot of common ground and I thoroughly enjoyed being a guest on her podcast Your Outside Mindset, where she helps others connect with nature. Of course I shared my thoughts and knowledge on of friluftsliv - open-air life - and how you can improve personal health by making this Nordic tradition a part of your everyday life. You can listen to our full conversation here: https://lnkd.in/dke2WWST
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #theopenairlife #friluftsliv #livelifeoutside #outsideeveryday

Friluftsliv is very much about exploring your loca

Friluftsliv is very much about exploring your local green spaces and connecting with nature in everyday life. But as I write in my book, The Open-Air Life, I also believe our lives become richer when we get to experience truly wild spaces every now and then, what I call “vacation friluftsliv”🏔️

Studies show that the more natural a place is, the more effective it is at boosting our mental health👍🏻 After a week backcountry skiing in northern Sweden, I can only agree. This is the place where I go to fill my cup of wilderness a couple of times per year. Tomorrow, I’ll be back at work but I’ll be high on these memories for months❤️
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #friluftsliv #openairlife #theopenairlife #sweden #härjedalen #härligahärjedalen #backcountry #backcountryskiing

I love experiencing the transitions of nature - fr

I love experiencing the transitions of nature - from one season to another, from warm to cold, from dark to light and night to day. Watching the sunrise and sunset is a simple friluftsliv pleasure that I treat myself to often. Sometimes in combination with a cold plunge to really immerse myself in nature and start the day with a natural high💦❄️☀️
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #openair #openairlife #friluftsliv #coldplunge #coldswimming

'Tis that time of the year when my good friend Nic

'Tis that time of the year when my good friend Nicolette Sowder of @awilderchild for a brief period has opened the doors to her Kids Moon Club. This year-long journey is an invitation to help your family slow down and connect with a more natural rhythm, by celebrating the moon through stories, music, books, recipes, connected crafts and more. Designed to help you sync up with the rhythm of the moon phases and connect to your nearby nature, the Kids Moon Club is not about keeping up, it's about looking up. The cost of a one-year membership is $120 and the last date to sign up is December 31, 2023. After that, the doors close until next year! Sign up through my affiliate link in bio👆🏼
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#kidsmoonclub #awilderchild #wilderchild #moongazing #membership #moon

In my experience, the friluftsliv outings that don

In my experience, the friluftsliv outings that don’t take a lot of money, equipment or advance planning are often the best❤️❄️🛷 This impromptu sledding session with the family was the perfect start of the holiday season🙏🏻
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #openairlife #lifeisbetteroutside #friluftsliv #sledding #family

Tomorrow marks the winter solstice in the Northern

Tomorrow marks the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and it’s a day that has been celebrated by our forebears since the beginning of time☀️ In the old folklore, the solstices were believed to be days when the spiritual world was closer to the material world than normal and supernatural creatures were everywhere. Today, the winter solstice is overshadowed by Christmas but in Scandinavia the symbolism of the shortest day is still powerful. From this day and for a full six months, the days will keep getting longer, until the summer solstice, when it barely gets dark at all on these latitudes.

For everyone who struggles with Seasonal Affective Disorder, the solstice brings hope. While I embrace the dark season, I too rejoice in the natural celestial rhythms that go on, regardless of our manmade holidays and all the hoopla that surrounds them. There is a certain comfort in the predictability of the transition and knowing that after dark comes light.

My grandmother always marked the solstices in her calendar and this time of the year, when the sun sets at 3:30pm and it seems like the days are like black holes in space, she would be elated and exclaim “It’s turning around now!” And yes, indeed, it’s turning around again. Just like it always has and always will❤️

Are you doing anything to celebrate the solstice?
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#rainorshinemamma #theresnosuchthingasbadweather #openairlife #theopenairlife #wintersolstice #solstice #winter

There's nothing that reminds you to slow down like

There's nothing that reminds you to slow down like a nasty virus🤒. On the flip side, being sick has allowed me to dive into this book, Until the Streetlights Come On, by @1000hoursoutside founder Ginny Yurich, and it's definitely been time well spent. If you have any doubts about the power of free play in general and nature play in particular, this book will convince you otherwise. And if you're already an advocate for outdoor play, it has plenty of valuable nuggets for you too. I'm sure you'll hear more about this book from me once I start feeling better🌿
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#natureplay #outdoorplay #playisenough #1000hoursoutside

Does it ever seem like the world is quieter when i

Does it ever seem like the world is quieter when it snows? Well, it is❄️ I love going outside when it snows; how about you?
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #snow

To celebrate the launch of the Rain or Shine Mamma

To celebrate the launch of the Rain or Shine Mamma curated selection at Outdoor School Shop, I’m giving away a free copy of There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather to the first 15 customers who spend $75 on a purchase. Use the code LINDA in the checkout to get your free book. There are only a few books left, so hurry!

Link in bio and here👉🏼 https://bit.ly/41920uc
@outdoorschoolshop
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #outdoorschoolshop

Seeing the Northern lights AND walking in moonligh

Seeing the Northern lights AND walking in moonlight so bright no headlamp was needed? My cup is full🙌🏻🌕
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#rainorshinemamma #theresnosuchthingasbadweather #theopenairlife #northernlights #norrsken

When I moved to Indiana nearly 20 years ago, I not

When I moved to Indiana nearly 20 years ago, I noticed a widespread aversion to winter. Granted, there have been times when I've struggled with the dark and cold as well, but if there's one thing I learned from my upbringing in Sweden and the Nordic outdoor tradition of friluftsliv, it is that there's beauty to being outside in every season❄️

We can't do anything about the weather, so why let it ruin your day? There is so much to discover outside in the wintertime and once you accept the weather for what it is, it's much easier to actually embrace the season💨

If fall shows us how beautiful it is to let things go, I think winter is nature's way of sparking our resilience and showing us that when it is dark outside, our light can come from within🔥

What are your feelings about winter?

PS. Speaking of winter, I highly recommend the book Wintering by @katherinemay_.
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#rainorshinemamma #theresnosuchthingasbadweather #winter #wintering #outsideeveryday #theopenairlife #lifeisbetteroutside

Raise your hand if you’re struggling with mental

Raise your hand if you’re struggling with mental health during the dark season🙋🏼‍♀️ To feel a bit blue in November is very common in Scandinavia as daylight is in short supply and the days keep getting shorter until the winter solstice. The darkness used to bother me too, but now I try to embrace it as a part of a seasonal rhythm. These are a few of the things I do to take care of myself during the dark time (and if this sounds egotistical, my POV is that if my mental health is down, everybody around me will suffer as well):

🌊 Cold plunges - refreshes the mind and keeps anxiety and depression at bay.
🌞 Walks in daylight - helps regulate hormones and improves sleep.
🙏🏻 Gratitude rituals - helps us appreciate what we have and makes us happier.
🔥 Fire, inside and outside - because it brings people together and it’s hygge.

What do you do to stay upbeat during the dark season (not to mention the depressing state of the world)?
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#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #theopenairlife #mentalhealth #novemberblues

This giveaway is now CLOSED. Congratulations to th

This giveaway is now CLOSED. Congratulations to the winners:
@beperks89
@thedupontnest
@becca.stark14
@enjoyfulbeing
@kmkabraham

Send a DM with your address, email address and phone number to @rainorshinemamma to claim your prizes😁

⭐️⭐️⭐️GIVEAWAY⭐️⭐️⭐️

One year ago, I published my second book THE OPEN-AIR LIFE, about the Nordic outdoor tradition friluftsliv📚To celebrate, I’ve partnered with @outdoorschoolshop for an amazing giveaway! Five lucky winners will receive a copy of my book as well as a gift card for Outdoor School Shop, which is a great one-stop-shop for children’s outdoor gear that stocks several of my favorite Scandinavian brands🧦

5 winners will each receive:
1 copy of THE OPEN-AIR LIFE from @tarcherperigee (value $20)
$100 gift card from @outdoorschoolshop

How to enter:
1. Like and save this post
2. Follow @rainorshinemamma and @outdoorschoolshop
3. Let us know in the comments what type of outdoor gear you need for your kids (or yourself!) right now.

May the forest be with you and good luck!🌳

This giveaway closes on Nov. 4 and the winners will be announced shortly after. Must be 18 and reside in the US to enter. The giveaway is not endorsed by or affiliated with Meta.
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#theopenairlifebook #openairlife #outdoorschoolshop #outdoorschool #outdoorgear #lifeisbetteroutside #outsideeveryday

A few years ago, I never would’ve thought cold s

A few years ago, I never would’ve thought cold swimming was for me. Now it’s an obsession. Studies show that cold swimming can reduce the risk of airway infections, boost the immune system and be effective against anxiety and mild depression. Would you/have you ever tried to immerse yourself in nature this way?
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#rainorshinemamma #theresnosuchthingasbadweather #theopenairlife #coldswimming #coldplunge

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