We're really excited to have David Mellor, blogger at Potty Adventures, on board as our new monthly guest blogger on the Mac in a Sac blog.
Father of two, teacher and blogger, David has a penchant for adventure and the great outdoors. He'll be bringing you tips for your next adventure, outdoor ideas to fill your weekends with and practical advice for traversing the great outdoors.
We caught up with David to find out a bit more about him ahead of his guest first post on the Mac in a Sac blog...
Tell us a little bit about yourself
"I'm David a 37 year old married dad of two. My wife (Nat) and I are school yard sweethearts who've been together a very long time! We have two amazing kids Jesse, aged 3 and Amelie, aged 1.
I'm an English teacher by profession, spending my 9-5 in a classroom. However, because of my passion for the outdoors I also spend a lot of time working with kids outside of the classroom. I've led Duke of Edinburgh Award programmes and expeditions and assist in the yearly running of the school ski trip. I've even led 32 teenagers on a 4 week expedition to Tanzania where we climbed Mount Kilimanjaro amongst other things."
How do you balance being a father, teacher and blogger?
"Balancing being a dad, a teacher and a blogger is tough. At the end of the day my own kids and family will always come first. Once my working day is over they have my attention until it's time for their bed. They can be exhausting...I don't know where such little people get the energy reserves from!
Overall I just have to be good at organising myself. I work really hard in the week, often through my lunch hour, to make sure that, as far as possible, my evenings and weekends are mine. In terms of the blogging I have set days for writing once the kids have gone to bed. This ensures that i still get to spend most evening with Nat too. This routine and sense of order and priority really helps to focus."
You have a pretty busy schedule by the sounds of things. What tips would you have for fitting in that all-important time outdoors?
"Being so busy, particularly during the week, makes our weekend adventures all the sweeter. We pretty much epitomise the 'whatever the weather' spirit so we'll be out as family no matter what. We invest a lot of our time making sure we've got the best kit to keep ourselves and our kids warm and dry so there really is no excuse not to go outside. As such, a top tip would be to prepare yourself to go out in any weather. You'd be surprised how much family fun you can have in the pouring rain!
Another tip is to have a go-to list of mini adventures. Mini adventures require little or no planning and take up far less time than full days in the mountains etc. This means that when time is tight, like it is for us in the middle of the week, we can still get a little outdoor fix. To make life even easier keep a prepped and packed rucksack at home that's ready to go as soon as you are."
"I'd say my current favourite outdoor activities are hiking and camping because they enable us to do them as a family. I love the sense of freedom that both of them give us."
Describe your perfect day off
"My perfect day off would be a day in the mountains of Snowdonia with Nat and the Kids. We'd begin walking just before first light, reach some higher ground for the sunrise, bag a summit or two, and then sit and have lunch surrounded by awesome views."
What is your favourite outdoors activity?
"I'd say my current favourite outdoor activities are hiking and camping because they enable us to do them as a family. I love the sense of freedom that both of them give us. Despite their very young age I also love teaching my two kids basic outdoor skills when we're hiking or camping. After all, I was just a nipper when my mum first took me along to her hiking club, so you're never too young to enjoy the outdoors.
Before kids I'd always be out blasting around trails and downhill courses on my mountain bike but that has definitely taken a back seat for now. I still enjoy riding, but will probably go back to it more seriously when the kids are a little older and can chase me (or the other way round!).
In the winter months I also love to ski and our eldest began having ski lessons just 2 weeks after his 3rd birthday. I'm just a little worried he'll be better than me before long!"
Tell me a bit about the Hiking With Kids Club
"When I started the blog one of the things I wanted to do was to use the qualifications and experience I'd developed over many years leading school groups in the outdoors to encourage more families to get outside. Consequently I started the Hiking with Kids Club. Now, once a month, I organise a family friendly hike and publicise it via the blog's Facebook page. We welcome all people, not just those with kids, and we've had some really great days out. Each month we hike somewhere different so that the group get a lot of variety and always choose somewhere that has a cafe stop near the end. As such not only is it a great opportunity to get kids outdoors it's also a great social event for like-minded adults."