All opinions expressed are my own.

This contest is now closed.  The winner will be notified.

*****

“Welcome to REI.  Can I help you folks?”

We were greeted when we walked in the door.  Pleasantly.

I gotta tell you, it sorta threw me for a loop!  Normally people catch a glance at me desperately trying to wrangle three kids and a baby and roll their eyes or make a bee-line in the opposite direction.

But on this day, we were greeted.

I have never been to an REI store.  I sorta figured they were for the more “athletic” types.

While the store was filled with well toned, well tanned, and perfectly tenacious folks, I didn’t feel out of place.

They actually had stuff that I was really, really interested in knowing more about!

Like “green” products.

Although I wouldn’t classify myself as a “green” mom, that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be more educated about all the ways that I can be more responsible.  They actually had an entire section of green stuff!

It was cool.

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And kid stuff.

They are kid experts. And that my dear friends, is my love language.

They know how to get kids to exercise.  How to feed kids.  How to keep them properly hydrated. How to dress appropriately in the sun.

And they even how to entertain kids with cardboard shoe horns with their dad tries on seventeen different pairs of hiking sandals.  (totally not making that up)

My kids oohhed and aahhed over their Adventure Journal while “camping” in one of the display tents.

I even found matching shirts and vests for all my kids on sale.  Seriously, the sale racks were off the hook!  (yes, I just said off the hook.  And it felt good, so there.)

There were these adorable pink baby Ugg boots on sale for dirt cheap which I totally would have bought had I not given birth to a boy and it wasn’t 90 degrees here.

Just sayin.

Now.

Because the folks at REI are so dang generous, they are going to let me give away a $100 gift card to one of you!!

Since most of you reading my blog are parents, you are going to have to trust me on something.

Your kids will ADORE it.

Bring the whole family and have a blast finding the perfect outdoorsy essentials!

Or you can just get some awesome clothes that will make you happy.

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I couldnt agree more.

What outdoor activity do you pledge to do with your family this summer and how would a $100 REI gift card help you get there?

Take the REI Outdoor Pledge and submit a comment to be entered.

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment telling me what outdoor activity you pledge to do with your family.

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

For Example:

I entered to win an @rei giftcard from @manda2177! bit.ly/nijrxs

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older and runs from 8/17 – 9/20/11.

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

 

Head to the BlogHer round-up page for more chances to win!

Share with your friends!

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Meet Amanda Rettke

Amanda Rettke is the creator of I Am Baker, and the bestselling author of Surprise Inside Cakes: Amazing Cakes for Every Occasion – With a Little Something Extra Inside.Over the course of her 15+ year blogging adventure, she has been featured in and collaborated with the Food Network, New York Times, LA Times, Country Living Magazine, People Magazine, Epicurious, Brides, Romantic Homes, life:beautiful, Publishers Weekly, The Daily Mail, Star Tribune, The Globe and Mail, DailyCandy, YumSugar, The Knot, The Kitchn, and Parade, to name a few.

Reader Comments

  1. I love R.E.I, and I also love all the kiddo tools, toys, and stuff they have to offer kids. I pledge to teach my daughter to love the outdoors, and to try everything at least once!

  2. I pledge to enjoy any and every outdoor activity I can as much as I can. It makes for great days with family and friends teaching them new things.

  3. I’m getting back into cycling and I’d love to take one of the bike maintenance classes at my local REI. I have all the tools in my bike bag, but I’m not sure how to use all of them properly! I know the experts at REI would be just the ones to teach me. That $100 GC would pay for the class, as well as leaving some to purchase other bike items I might not have considered necessary.

  4. As we inch towards fall and the weather starts to get cooler, we’re trying to get outside more and enjoy walking, running and playing.

  5. If I won the gift card I would get my husband and I some bike gear so we could do a lot more biking than we have this year! We moved to Colorado 1 1/2 years ago and they have so many trails and groups to go biking with here!

  6. The gift card would help me pay for gear for Yellowstone. I can’t wait to go with my family!!!

  7. Went to glacier natl park this year ….it was gorgeous. I do need a new back pack…come on REI gift card!

Comments are closed.