Ride Together with Brilliant

"Don't let having a baby keep you from doing what you love. Take her along and she'll learn to enjoy the things you do."

This was a little piece of advice my sister gave me nearly six years ago and I think about it often. There's so much truth to it and I've witnessed it first hand with my two girls.

It's no secret my husband and I love being outside and we want our kids to learn to love the outdoors as much as we do. Most nights or weekends you can find us in our backyard, hands dirty, music blasting, working in the garden. The kids are never too far off, switching from jumping on the trampoline, playing in the garden with us, chasing the chickens and going on adventures in the creek behind the house. I looked around one afternoon as my girls were digging in the dirt making mud cakes in their swimsuits and couldn't help but smile as I those words crossed my mind again. Here they were, enjoying the things we do, right alongside us.

And as they get older I want them to know we will be there to support them and learn to enjoy the things they love too, not just what interests us. So when my girls started riding bikes and getting better at longer distances, I realized I needed to get my own bicycle so I could ride alongside them.

Best decision I've made in a long time. You guys, you should have seen my girls faces when they found out Brilliant sent over a bike for me to ride with them! (Thank you, Brilliant, it's amazing!) They just kept saying, "you get to ride with us now!"

You would have thought the bike was for them by the little squeals they kept making as I assembled it, which was super easy by the way, thanks to the video tutorial. And when they realized Brilliant also sent over a balance bike for my youngest, man, the energy in the room went through the roof!

We hopped on the bikes for our first "girls only" ride as they kept saying. A quick ride up and down our street and I've never heard so many giggles or watched them smile so much. It was the most fun I've ever had riding a bicycle and can already tell that this is going to be a new family fun activity.

I want them to always know how much we love and support them and their unique interests and I think it makes such a big impact when we, as parents, step out of our routine and participate in what the kids enjoy.

I hope they'll keep taking me along to learn to love the things they enjoy even as they become teenagers, young women and adults because together is pretty awesome.

I am so thankful that Brilliant sent us the bikes and gave us a new way to connect as a family outside because, goodness, I forgot how much run riding a bike is!

And you guys, they're offering you, my amazing friends, a crazy discount so you can get your very own Brilliant bicycle! The prices are already great but goodness, they're giving you $100 off a Mayfair, like mine but any color you want, and $50 off a Biddle balance bike! Head on over and get your own!

Just remember to enter the discount codes at checkout:

$100 off a Mayfair: LESLEYxMAYFAIR

$50 off a Biddle: LESLEYxBIDDLE

And if you're local, one of the best spots to go for a ride with littles is along Riverside. It's a pretty flat, easy ride and there are lanes for bikers. And since kids are around a lot, the serious bikers are alert so you don't have to be too cautious or worried. Plus it's pretty and there's a fun park at 41st if you want to make an afternoon of it.

 
If you have a favorite spot to ride in Tulsa or Broken Arrow, I'd love to hear about it in the comment section. Also, any advice or recommendations for either an child carrier or trailer would be much appreciated so I can get my little guy out there with us!


All photos by Ashley Campbell, Mayfair in Ink Black and Biddle in Frosted Mint.