We don’t think of AMC’s hit series Mad Men to be exactly something that could help kids get on bikes. The TV show about the dark side of the world of advertising has characters drinking, smoking and basically leading a life that is anything but healthy. But it is a stylish show, and while life may not have to imitate art – the art of the show can do something good.
Trips for Kids looks to benefit from the sale of a one-of-a-kind, Mad Men-inspired art that will be sold through an online auction running now until April 1. And 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale will benefit Trips for Kids. The art includes a replica the hit TV show logo made entirely of vintage license plates and was created by renowned license plate artist and former HGTV host, Aaron Foster. Press release after the jump
Whether it is trekking through the wilds or just on a vacation and spending the day at museums, there is no denying that a washing machine would come in handy. While clothes can be cleaned in the sink it isn’t always easy, and when truly off the grid a sink might not be close.
This week tactical and sport sunglass maker Wiley X announced that for the third year in a row the company would donate proceeds from the sale of its Lacey Sunglasses to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Thrroughout 2012, Wiley X will donate $3 from the sale of each polarized or non-polarized Lacey model to support the efforts of this long-standing and proven charitable organization.
Not everyone is born to mountain bike. In fact no one is really born knowing how to ride, but the Trek Dirt Series – which enters it 12th season this year – is here to help grow the sport of mountain biking by developing skills and confidence through instruction weekend camps located in the sport’s most popular destinations.
Imagine a skateboard that went nowhere, yet could still allow users to actually make some skateboard moves? One such deck is the Gyroboard, a product of Gyro Enterprises, which simulates the movement of board sports but from a stable position. The board does move – it just doesn’t go anywhere. Instead it features 360 degrees of rotation, can tilt forward or side to side. In this way it actually provides more motion than a skateboard or snowboard, but could be used for rehabilitation or training.
We’ve seen a few hanging tents in the past year, along with some hammock and other new innovations that let users sleep off the ground. Now comes the Tentsile, which was created by a team of British designers. This is a portable habitation for campers but we assume could just as easily be used in the backyard. It uses tension forces to suspend the tent, to protect campers from the elements, so no more sleeping on the cold, hard or damp ground, but it also ensures that campers are protected from wildlife. The system works by providing three anchor points, which utilize the forces to make for a stable, adaptable and lightweight system. 
If you’ve watched a mountain stage of the Tour de France you’ve probably seen David Mayer, but then again it could be anyone inside that water bottle costume. While Mayer is owner and designer of the Clean Bottle – the water bottle that unscrews from the bottom as well as top for better cleaning— he still actually “suits up” and runs along cyclists dressed as large bottle.
In the next few months life as we know it is going to change – this reporter and my wife are expecting a newborn, our first. The preparations and gathering of baby related products has started at our household, and as exciting as this is for us, there is a disturbing trend that we noticed in this entire industry – a majority of the products are made in China. Certainly there are products manufactured in other countries, Mexico, Vietnam and South Africa to name a few; but we have not found one baby related product that is made in the U.S.A. – until now. Belle Baby Carriers of Boulder, Colorado has been making baby carriers for those on-the-go since 2006 and they are all made in America.
Baseball season is about to see opening day and this year the game, at least for youth players, will be a little different as runs for bats have chanted. The National Federation of State High School Associations has adopted a new standard for baseball bats.
Hydration packs are a great way to bring along some water. You can wear these on your back so as to be less encumbered. The downside is that the bladders can get nasty over time. You can’t really “clean” them as easily as a water bottle.