It’s All About the Activity, not the Thing

The best toys focus a child’s attention on the activity, not the thing.  

This subtle insight comes from Kim John Payne, author of Simplicity Parenting — a book that we sometimes find ourselves re-reading as we strive to simplify our own lives and re-focus our family’s collective attention on what is true, beautiful, and good (while stripping away all the excess noise).

As we think about it, our kids’ favorite toys really do focus their attention more on the activity and less on the actual toy itself. We cherish the toys that entertain our kids for long uninterrupted stretches; the toys that make us parents grateful; the toys that add value, not clutter, to our lives.

Take bikes, for instance. Our kids have always loved bike riding — from their first few tentative steps on their balance bikes to their confident riding on their pedal bikes. We explore the neighborhood, cruise down our neighbor’s gently inclined driveway over and over, and bike to the park and farmer’s market.  

Their bikes become the vehicle — quite literally — through which our kids explore. They are focused on pumping their little legs (“Mommy, do you think I’m as fast as the speed of light?”) and enjoying the thrill and freedom of being on two wheels.

As makers of merino wool children’s wear, we identify with the maxim that a well-made product focuses attention on the activity, not the thing. For this reason, we design clothing that lets you and your child focus on life’s important activities. 

Our merino long johns are the coziest softest pajamas while also being a temperature-regulating base layer for winter’s outdoor fun. Designed for cozy sleeping and active play, our long johns allow kids to go from activity to activity without missing a beat.

In our estimation, the best clothes focus a child’s attention on the activity, not the thing. Here’s to celebrating that which is true, beautiful and good in your family’s life.

Denver Starlight Market Recap

Nothing like hot cocoa sipping, wreath making, photo taking, and supporting your favorite indie brands to get in the holiday spirit. This past weekend we hosted the 2nd annual Starlight Market. We are filled with gratitude as we think about all the vendors that came together to put on such a lovely event, and the community that gathered to celebrate the season. It's really the simple joy of gathering that is the most meaningful. May the season be merry!

Big thanks to all our friends:

Booth vendors: Chasing Windmills, Hazel Village, Monroe Workshop, Artifact Uprising, Sunday Supply, Wunderkin, Simplysuzys, Lana's Shop, Winter Session, Remy & Rose

Photobooth (including the portraits in front of the greenery photo backdrop above!):         Artifact Uprising

Florals and wreath station: Flora by Nora

Logo, Signage, Coloring sheets: Lana's Shop

Lounge Area: Leather mats by Gathre, washable pillows and blankets by Lorena Canals, and baby loungers by DockaTot

Hot cocoa: Peteybird

Event Consultation & Setup: A Vintage Affair

Venue: Blanc

Today Is Everyday

Kids don’t mean to be so profound, but they just can’t help it. Their youthful wisdom spills out freely and beautifully.

Yesterday, I picked up our kids from kindergarten and benefited from one of those nuggets of wisdom. Sarah is usually the one to pick up our kids from school, but she’s been working like crazy to plan and prepare for this season's holiday markets.

And so, I had the pleasure of picking up the kids from school. When we change our schedules around, however, we first paint mental pictures of the day-to-day routine for our kids. “Tomorrow, Mommy is going to drop you off at school, where you get to play all morning and eat yummy millet rolls, and then Daddy will pick you up,” and so on and so forth. When they know what to expect, they just seem to digest the day better.

And so, when I picked up our kids from kindergarten yesterday, I launched into one of those mental pictures of what the next few unpredictable days would look like.  I started with, “All right, for tomorrow…” before my little boy stopped me.

He said, “But Daddy, everyday is today.” I stopped myself and smiled.  Yes, it is, little buddy, yes it is.

He is right. We live entirely in the present, but we dwell on the past and plan for the future. As grown-ups, we cannot forget the past or walk blindly into the future. At the same time, however, we must ask ourselves: how much of the present is lost because of worry about what has been and what will be?

For the rest of the day, I tried to embrace my little boy’s mantra of “everyday is today.” I tried to remind myself to be fully present reading stories to our kids and biking around the neighborhood with them.

I allowed myself a glimpse of what it means to be fully present, if only for a few precious moments. Thanks for that gift, buddy.

Merino Wool: Mother Nature's Original High-Performance Fiber

With cold weather descending, we turn to merino wool to keep our kids warm, cozy, and active.

But why not cotton or synthetic fibers? Why do we choose 100% merino wool as the soulful base of everything we make, including our thermal long johns?

Quite simply, Mother Nature engineered merino wool to keep the wearer warm, cozy, and active when temperatures drop this fall and winter.

Unlike cotton, merino naturally wicks away moisture and retains heat even when wet. If your little one is wearing cotton long johns and snow slips under the jacket, the cotton layer will rob the wearer of warmth. 

Not so with merino. Nature’s original high-performance fiber holds in warmth even when wet and dries quickly. Whether it’s a little sweat or an errant snow ball, merino works hard to keep your little one active and cozy in all types of conditions. 

Cotton just can’t match merino’s natural temperature-regulating properties.

And neither can petroleum-based synthetic fibers like polyester. Although quick-drying, synthetic fibers can’t match merino’s natural insulating effect which helps the wearer maintain a consistent and comfortable body temperature.

Plus, if you’re like us, you just feel better wearing a natural fiber from the world’s softest sheep. We source our merino directly from New Zealand to ensure next-to-skin plush softness and comfort.

Our long johns will be your kid’s favorite high-performance base layer and softest pair of pajamas, all in one super soft set. And for that, we have Mother Nature to thank.

On Rhythms

I swim.

I swim to stretch, to breathe, to become lost in my own thoughts, to get to the point where my body stops fighting me and just turns loose in the water.

On some of my best swim days, I forget to count laps.  I get in a rhythm.  Stroke, breathe, kick, repeat.  My mind wanders.

At some point, my consciousness kicks back in.  I stroke and kick to the wall and pull off my goggles.

After I stop swimming, I notice that I’m breathing heavily and my arms and legs feel heavy with use.  I became aware, once again, of my basic bodily sensations — sensations that moved into the background in my rhythmic meditative swimming.

Life is all about rhythms — the automated processes that govern us from dawn to dusk.  The thing is though, we don’t see the rhythms when we’re in one.  It’s not until we stop and catch our breath that we see the rhythm.

For me, swimming is a healthy rhythm. It stretches my body and gives my active mind a little peace.

But life is fraught with negative rhythms too.  It’s all too easy to get caught up in a rhythm that detracts from life’s goals.

For us, our children made us keenly aware of these rhythms — the good and the not-so-good ones.  As we set out to create a life as a family, we started asking each other questions about what kind of present and future we wanted to share together.

In a way, we became attuned to our role as the artists of our lives, not passive figures blindly wrapped up in daily rhythms. 

We do not have all the answers, but we have gained a degree of clarity and a sense of direction. Whether we are cooking a family meal, reading books to our children, or dreaming up a new line of merino long johns, we strive to make conscious choices.  

Choices about what enriches our lives.  Choices about what we wish to share with our kids.  Choices about the community to which we want to contribute.

So, let’s all remember to stop and catch our collective breath, so that we can become aware of the rhythms in our lives. Let’s consciously throw our collective energy into what is true, beautiful, and good.

Chasing Windmills & Ibex Co-Hosting "Adventures Start Young" on Sept. 9th

To all of our wonderful Colorado family, friends, and supporters,

We are co-hosting an event with Ibex on Saturday, September 9th from 10 am to 2pm at Ibex's Denver shop in Cherry Creek North (located at 250 Columbine Street, Denver, CO 80206). The event, "Adventures Start Young," is a celebration of fall and families -- inspiring mamas, papas, and their little ones to get out there and explore this fall and winter.

We would love to celebrate with you and your families! Chasing Windmills will pop-up with our line of super soft merino wool goods inside Ibex's shop, alongside Ibex's merino offerings for all the grown-ups out there.

Whether your family is looking forward to hiking among the changing aspen trees, sledding after the first snow, or hitting the ski slopes this winter, you'll find everything you need to stay comfy and cozy for your family's adventures. We will also offer refreshments, kids activites, and giveaways too! We hope to see you there!

We must say that, it's an honor for our little merino kid's wear brand to stand beside Ibex for this event. A conscious company that believes in what is true, beautiful, and good, Ibex has always been a beacon for us on our journey.

We hope to see your smiling faces and beautiful families at Ibex on Saturday, September 9th. Here's to all of your adventures ahead!

Summer Shipping Break

Our shop is on a summer shipping break through August 21st, as we take a chance to soak up the goodness of summer with our family.  So what does that mean for you all?

USPS Priority Mail shipping is on us for all domestic orders during placed during our shipping break (August 11-21).  All U.S. orders will ship out, via USPS Priority Mail, on August 22.

And for our international friends, you'll save $8.00 off of your usual shipping costs during the summer shipping break too.  A little something for everyone.

There's no promo code necessary (the shipping costs are zeroed out for our US customers and discounted for our international customers at checkout).

Hope you and yours are enjoying the summer too!  Oh, and stay tuned...we're also working on a complete re-stock of our windmill-printed thermal long johns as well as some new long john styles for the fall :)

With gratitude,

Sarah & JP (Co-Founders)

Success & Leadership

Last night, the annual Gather in Kin dinner was held. It's a beautiful evening to bring together people from all different creative ventures, to share our hearts and foster community. I was honored to be able to share with all of the guests a part of our story and our thoughts on success and leadership. Below are the words I shared:

When Joslyn asked me to join the dinner this year and speak on leadership, not sure I should admit this, but I thought “Reallyyy? Did she mean to send this to me?!” My husband and I launched our merino wool children’s apparel business, Chasing Windmills, just over 2 years ago. And basically we still feel very much like an infant- going for it, falling, getting up again. So I do not feel very much like I am leading at anything. But as I thought about it, I realized that we are. It took me a bit to realize this, because I think I was stuck in the mindset that being “a huge success” and “a leader” as the same thing. And that’s what I want to challenge in all of our thinking here tonight.

I worked in the corporate world for 8 years, as an actuary (it’s ok most people have absolutely no idea what that is). I knew I was a leader there. My role as a leader and "success" was very clearly defined and measured for me. To be a fully designated actuary, you have to take 11 grueling exams - basically like studying for the bar 11 times. It takes on average 6-10 years to complete them all, if you ever do. I finished in just over 5 years, and was quickly rewarded with glowing annual reviews, monetary bonuses, promotions, and raises. The checkmarks on my accomplishments accumulated fast and visibly. I had been gifted with great actuarial skills (wish I had been gifted with something cooler ;), but there were plenty of days where I was yearning for something else.

At the peak of my career, I became drawn to photography, and became obsessed with preserving the human connection and emotion of the every day. It’s where I first timidly became connected with other people thirsty for creating and making their own path. While I still do photography, much of my time is actually spent on Chasing Windmills.

It may come as a surprise to you, but Chasing Windmills actually started as my husband JP’s venture and idea. But since he’s colorblind and hasn’t ever figured out how to login into our instagram account :), I’ve slowly become the face of the business (JP is very much here and behind the scenes though, rest assured!). With a world focused on numbers, checkmarks, accumulation, followers - I realized how our thinking habits and society have trained us to see success as a large number, and our worth has some how become defined by these metrics. I do this all the time myself- evaluate other businesses and our own by social media stats, how many packages they’re sending out, etc. In the beginning, I would even view little things like losing followers as a sign that we weren’t doing something right. If a month of sales went down from the previous, I would constantly question if we could ever possibly make it.

I know that starting something from scratch, especially in something that we have no previous background in or knowledge of, takes time. And so, in order to stay committed to the course, I’ve come to realize that I cannot view “success” as we have all been taught to. I cannot be on a constant yo-yo of emotions as we have our ups and downs. Although of course we are a retail business, and ultimately we need to sell our merino products, I’ve been training myself to focus our hearts on the meaning behind this venture of ours.

Yes, we are makers of merino wool children's wear.  But our vision does not end there. We will never be content merely to produce a good for consumption.  We succeed when we inspire a life of simplicity, intentionality, and appreciation of Mama Nature’s gifts to us. When we capture the adventurous spirit of childhood. When we share the values of the slow fashion movement, resisting the urge of fast production and consumerism.

Before we launched, we wrote a little mission statement, so that we'd always be able to revisit our original intentions, especially on those days when we get hung up on the numbers based definition of success. Which is often ;). So I just thought I'd share a bit of it-

At its core, Chasing Windmills is for those who chase the impossible dream.  

For those who embrace idealism in the face of cynicism.  

For those who understand that small acts, done with great love, sustain a beautiful world.

For those who feel compelled to live the life they love.  

For those who believe that a conscious company must care for, not just its profits, but the lives it touches and the environment it graces.

THIS is where we want to lead. We want to live these values everyday, and our children to live these values. While we have been able to spread our merino goodness to over 25 countries and almost every state in the US, the number of merino garments we’ve sold is not our end, but rather the means by which Chasing Windmills may share its vision and, in turn, inspire its supporters to pursue meaning and happiness in their own lives.

So much of our lives these days is focused on numbers. On getting ahead. On having the “most”. On showing the world how busy we are. Especially since it is so easy these days to compare ourselves to someone else, let us not always get hung up on the definition of success that has always been engrained in us. Remember to focus on what truly makes our hearts content, knowing that our own missions will guide us to where we are meant to be.

In closing, I thought I’d leave us with one quote for all of us to hold tight. Nelson Mandela said the following about leadership: "[A] leader. . . is like a shepherd.  He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all
along they are being directed from behind."

Thanks to so many friends for pouring their love into bringing the table together

Gatherer - Joslyn Griffin, Gather in Kin
Venue - Hotel Teatro
Event Design- Tangerine Room Events
Flowers - Siloh Floral
Photographer- Laura Murray
Rentals- Yonder House
Paper - Brylo Wed
Branding - Andrea Crouse
Music- Bryson Bailey
Other Speakers- Cassie Rosch, Bethany of Flower & Fig
Videography - Vow of the Wild

Unconscious Unity

Children possess an unconscious unity. They feel a sense of connection to everything that enters their world — a robin perched on a window sill, a squirrel family scampering up a tree, the bloom of a flower.  

To our children, everything is connected, deeply, profoundly, and unmistakably. It’s why we love viewing the world through a child’s eyes.

As we grow older, we often lose that sense of connection — that innate feeling of unconscious unity to the world around us. A robin is just a robin; a squirrel is just a squirrel; and a bloom on a flower is just a bloom. The extraordinary wonder of childhood is replaced by ordinary expectations.

But to kids, the world is different. It is extraordinary. It is magical, alive, and connected.

Let us, the parents, rediscover unity. We may need to make a conscious choice, as opposed to our children’s unconscious knowledge, but a magical worldview awaits us.

Chasing Windmills is inspired by that quest for unity. Bringing the natural goodness of merino wool into our children’s lives, in a small way, brings nature into our homes. It shares an appreciation of Mama Earth. It tells how we desire quality over quantity and how we crave a relationship with the natural world all around us. 

And that connection, that unity, to nature matters to us.

Living Deliberately

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately . . . .” - Henry David Thoreau, Walden.

As founders of Chasing Windmills, we struggle everyday to live deliberately. Unlike Thoreau, we did not journey into the woods and construct a log cabin.

For us, we had kids. On that day in November 2012, our lives changed forever — not just because we now had two tiny little human beings looking to us for nourishment and love, but because our newborn children inspired us to begin living deliberately.

We began asking questions that we had long neglected or taken for granted.  Questions like: what do I need in my life to be happy? What inspires my heart, my mind, and my soul? What are the essential elements of my life? And, importantly as new parents, what do we want to bring into our children’s lives? What do we want to share with them? Who are we as parents?

In a word, we wanted to live deliberately — to truly think, for ourselves, what kind of life we wanted to lead and create as a family. This journey had led us to many different places, emotionally, physically, and spiritually, as we plotted the course of our lives.

Professionally, this journey led us to Chasing Windmills: our vision and our way of sharing the adventurous spirit of childhood through the natural goodness of merino wool. We felt inspired by a community of parents with a profound respect for and appreciation of what Mother Nature provides. We wanted to be part of this community, to throw our creative energy into a profound movement, and to share a piece of ourselves in the process.

Merino wool — a super soft, natural, renewable fiber — is the means through which we connect with other mamas and papas who wish to live deliberately. Through Chasing Windmills, we are a small part of their much grander journeys, and for that we are forever grateful.

In our quest to live deliberately, we make choices each and everyday about how we live and what we consume. In little ways, we seek to remain true to ourselves and to our children. We bring re-usable bags to the grocery store; we compost through the City of Denver’s new composting program; we purchase offsets to neutralize the carbon impact of shipping worldwide; and we carefully consider what and how we consume everything from goods to clothing, preferring those created with natural materials.

As an apparel brand, we recognize our responsibility in bringing, we hope, something of value and significance to the market. Never wanting to “sell” to someone, we strive to connect with parents who see wholesome goodness in what we make.

As a culture, we are beginning to move away from disposable plastic water bottles (as more and more people carry their reusable water bottles) and away from plastic grocery bags (to paper and bring-your-own reusable bags).  There is a shift away from plastic and to the natural.

Chasing Windmills is part of this journey too, away from plastic-based synthetic clothing fibers and to natural renewable fibers like merino wool. Every year, 8 million tons of plastic enters our oceans. With nothing on Earth evolved to biodegrade plastic, it just floats there — year after year after year.

Much of this floating plastic comes from washing synthetic clothing. Microfibers wash away and make their way into waterways.

Merino wool, on the other hand, is naturally biodegradable. It returns to organic matter, returns to the Earth.

It’s one way that we live deliberately, conscious of our impact upon our planet.

In our quest to live deliberately — whether as parents, co-founders of a company, and all the other hats we wear — we will struggle at times. But it is that struggle, that process of discovering who we are and what we wish to share with this world, that gives us the sense that we are not alone.

We are with you.

When a Caterpillar Becomes a Butterfly

“There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.” -R. Buckminster Fuller.

Our merino-loving kids turned four years old in November. For their birthdays, one of their aunts sent them a butterfly tent with a coupon code to order caterpillars.

We waited all winter and spring before ordering those caterpillars. After all, we didn’t want to release butterflies into our backyard during winter’s chill or during the inevitable spring snowstorm (this year, it was early May when spring’s snow arrived in Denver for the last time).

After months of patiently waiting, we finally ordered the caterpillars at the end of May. Our kids watched the caterpillars double and triple in size before creating their cocoons. We then carefully transferred them into the butterfly tent…and waited.

Every morning for a week or so, our kids would wake up and check on the cocoons.  “When are they going to hatch, Mommy?” “When are they going to become butterflies, Daddy?”

And then it happened the morning of their final day of Waldorf preschool. Mama was pretty choked up, seeing those butterflies spreading their beautiful wings. We thought of our own little kids — growing up and evolving before our eyes.

Awhile back, we wrote about the profound freedom of “holding the question,” resisting the temptation to define our children too soon and, instead, giving them the space and time to emerge as their own unique confident selves. As parents, we relate to the urge to know who our children will become; what they will do with their lives; how they will contribute to the world; where they will find meaning and contentment.

But we can never definitively answer what metamorphoses our children will undergo, from caterpillar to butterfly, throughout their lives. We can only set the conditions for them to emerge on their own. We can provide them with tender patience, a home full of love, and a sense of adventure and exploration.

In the end, however, our children just may surprise us. And, perhaps, that’s just how it should be.

Denver Starlight Market - Spring Recap

There's nothing better than connecting with mamas, papas, and little ones in real life. We held our 2nd Starlight Market, this time in celebration of spring and right before Mother's Day. With tasty treats, cocktails, mini photo sessions, flowers, and of course small business shopping, it was a festive and fun day for all.

Big thanks to all who came out, and especially to our friends:

Venue: Suzy Holman of the Denver Photo Collective

Vendor Booths: Hazel Village, Chasing Windmills, Izzy & Ferd, Give Lovely, Wunderkin, Remy & Rose Soap, Lil Bellies, Lana's Shop, and Premastyle

Treats: Cookies, brownies, cupcakes baked with organic mixes by Foodstirs and pasture-raised eggs and butter by Vital Farms

On site portrait station photographer: Alexandria Ramon (who took the last photo in this post of my kiddos!)

Summertime Merino

Want to know Mother Nature’s secret to keeping your kiddos cool and comfortable during the warm summer months? It’s merino wool!

Our summertime adventure collection — graphic tees for good, pocket tees, shorts, and hoodies — is made from super soft, breathable, moisture-wicking, temperature-regulating 100% merino wool. Merino is the ideal fabric for summertime adventures, big and small.

But we get it. When we were kids, we never thought of wool for summer months. When we thought of wool as kids growing up, it was that heavy coarse sweater that we pulled on to keep us warm during winter’s chill.

Merino wool is different. Sourced from a specific breed of sheep roaming mountainous New Zealand and Australian meadows, merino wool provides next-to-skin softness. And specifically for our at play collection, we have designed all of our tees with a super lightweight merino fabric, keeping those kiddos cool and comfy all day long.

In fact, researchers have found that 100% merino wool is better than synthetic blends at keeping the wearer dry and comfortable in warm conditions.

Mama Nature endowed merino wool with some pretty incredible attributes, including its ability to wick away moisture, stay fresh (thanks to its anti-microbial properties), and help maintain a consistent body temperature. After all, merino sheep have evolved to keep comfortable in all the extremes of heat, cold, and wet that nature can throw at them.

And, as parents, we've realized how merino even saves some of our sanity when it comes to summertime travel. Because of its relative weightlessness, merino wool is easy to pack.  And, if you wash one of our merino tees at night in a hotel sink and hang to dry (because kids always manage to dirty more clothes than you plan for, right?), you’ll find a fresh and dry t-shirt in the morning — ready for the day’s adventures!

Thanks, Mama Nature. Always looking after us.

In Appreciation of Earth Day

“When I was a boy in Scotland I was fond of everything that was wild, and all my life I’ve been growing fonder and fonder of wild places and wild creatures.” — John Muir, environmental philosopher and founder of the Sierra Club.

Chasing Windmills was born from nature and all of her gifts. Grateful to Mother Nature, we partner with ethical and humane ranchers in New Zealand to source our merino wool. Mindful of our own daily impact, we commit to offsetting our carbon footprint from our home office energy use and shipping worldwide.  

We are dedicated to the adventurous idealist, to those mamas and papas who wish to share nature’s goodness with their children from birth, and to those kids and grown-ups who are fond of everything wild.

As a family-run business, our kids often see us working. Recently, they asked us: “Mommy and Daddy, what are our jobs?  I smiled and responded, “It’s your job to play and get dirty!” And they love their jobs :) Whether they are inventing whole new worlds in their own minds, digging outside in the dirt for worms, or riding their bikes, our kids take their “jobs” seriously!

Like our kids, we take our jobs seriously too. We have a responsibility to preserve Mother Nature’s goodness for our kids.

And so, to celebrate Earth Day, we will be donating 100% of profits from our graphic merino tees for good to the Sierra Club. In the words of its founder, John Muir: “In God’s wildness lies the hope of the world — the great fresh, unblighted, unredeemed wilderness.”

For us, it’s a small investment in the hope of the world. We are forever grateful to you, the supporters of Chasing Windmills, who fulfill this vision. Together, we are committed to making the world a more beautiful place.

Sharing One of Nature's Little Secrets

“Look Mama and Daddy, the flowers close up at night and then open when the sun warms them up.”

Standing in the backyard with our little girl, we were looking at the tulips in our garden—a telltale sign of spring’s arrival.  That’s when she very matter-of-factly told us about how the tulips close at night and open during the day.

I had never before noticed how our tulips follow the transition from day to night.  I felt like my little girl let me in on one of nature’s secrets.

I asked her, “How’d you know that?”  She said that she just watches the flowers.  When she leaves the house for preschool in the morning, they are closed.  And when she returns home, the flowers are open.

So I looked it up.  Scientists call this process “nastic movements,” as flowers respond to various stimuli, such as sunlight.

Like most kids, our little girl didn’t need a textbook on flora and fauna to understand how flowers react to their environments.  She just relied upon her keen powers of observation.

And it got me thinking.  What else am I missing all around me?  What other phenomenon do I observe everyday without ever really noticing?

Our children—yours, mine, all of ours—have a special gift for observing the world.  They look at nature with discerning and open eyes.  They notice the little details, Mama Nature’s little secrets, like tulips opening and closing as day fades into night.

Now, when I leave the house in the morning, I look at our tulips—still closed from the night’s cold.  I smile, knowing that they will soon open their blossoms with the morning sun.  And I smile with gratitude, being able to soak in and see the world through our children's eyes.

Shortcutting Causes Erosion

We’re all for forging your own path.  On our more courageous days, we fancy ourselves trailblazers.

But we also need to be mindful of the footprints we leave behind.  Along one of our weekend family hikes, an elegant sign greeted us at the start of our trail: “Shortcutting causes erosion”.  If we are mindful of our where we step, our kids and their kids can fall in love with nature too.

It’s why we consciously minimize Chasing Windmills’ footprint.  Our home office subsidizes wind power.  We offset our home office energy use and shipping, thanks to the good people of TerraPass.  We use recycled materials for our mailers. Our merino fiber is naturally renewable, with the sheep being shorn once per year. And, best of all, merino is biodegradable- all thanks to Mama Nature.

Yes, those are little things.  But we must believe that little things make a big difference.

Little things like avoiding shortcuts on a mountain trail.

Tees for Good

“A waterfall begins from only one drop of water.”  - P.K., The Power of One

The drops of water that make a more beautiful world are not always grand heroic gestures.  Sometimes it’s as simple as the everyday loving acts of kindness that we witness in our own children everyday.

We see it when our little girl shares a favorite toy with her brother.

We see it when our little boy hugs his sister after she falls and scrapes her knee.

And we see it in our partners when they find the resolve in their heart to calm a little one’s tantrum with peaceful and patient love.

In the grand scheme of things, a child’s decision to share a toy or give a hug are small acts.  But, it is those small acts of kindness that will eventually create a waterfall.

And, as a company that cares about the lives it touches and the environment it graces, we want to add a few drops of water to the waterfall too.  

Today, we’re excited to share another small way in which we can contribute to that waterfall.  With each purchase of our graphic merino t-shirt, we will donate 10% of proceeds to the following organizations whose missions aligns with the inspiration behind each of our tee designs: 

* "Go Outside" - The Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK), dedicated to connecting children and families to the great outdoors; 

* "Follow Rivers" - The Sierra Club, founded in 1892 by the naturalist philosopher John Muir and committed to safeguarding nature’s land, water, and air; and

* "Adventure" - The National Parks Conservation Association, committed to protecting and enhancing the National Parks for current and future generations.

So, next time you purchase a graphic merino t-shirt from us, know that you are one drop. And together, we might just start a waterfall.

Denver Starlight Market Recap

We started our holiday season by pulling together some of our favorite local Denver brands and small shops for one super sweet pop-up shop for families. It was so nice meeting so many wonderful families, and the whole time felt like one festive playdate. We are looking forward to making the Starlight Market an annual event!

Big thanks to all of our friends:

Venue: Hosted by Suzy Holman of the Denver Photo Collective 

Vendor Booths: Chasing Windmills, Hazel Village, Lana's Shop, Free Babes, Monroe Workshop, Hadley Girl, Remy & Rose  

Snacks: Popcorn bar by PipCorn and star cookies by Katherine's French Bakery

On site portrait station photographer: Luis of LP Images

Holiday Shipping Break (Dec. 19-28)

Our shop is on a holiday shipping break from December 19 through December 28, as we take a chance to soak up the goodness of the holidays with our family.  So what does that mean for you all?

USPS Priority Mail shipping is on us for all domestic orders during placed during our shipping break (Dec. 19-28).  All U.S. orders will ship out, via USPS Priority Mail, on December 29th.

And for our international friends, you'll save $8.00 off of your usual shipping costs during the holiday shipping break too.  A little something for everyone.

There's no promo code necessary (the shipping costs are zeroed out for our US customers and discounted for our international customers at checkout).

Hope you and yours are enjoying the holidays too!  Oh, and stay tuned...we're also working on a complete re-stock of our windmill-printed thermal long johns to be available by end of January!

With gratitude,

Sarah & JP (Co-Founders)

Respecting the Goodness that Mother Nature Provides

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” -John Muir.

When we started Chasing Windmills, we sought to create a connection between childhood’s earliest moments and the natural world. We desired to plant the seeds of respect for what Mother Nature provides and to inspire children and parents alike to live in harmony with nature.

This vision underscores a commitment to the natural beauty and sustainability of our environment. In the year-plus since we launched, we’re grateful for our connections with customers all over the world — from right here in Colorado and throughout the U.S., to Canada, and across the ocean to Europe, Asia, and Australia.

We are grateful that our growth helps us share our vision and spread the natural goodness of merino wool. However, we are also mindful that our growth involves a greater impact upon the environment. Delivering packages worldwide relies on fossil fuels.

That is why, today, we are excited to announce that Chasing Windmills is committed to offsetting every pound of carbon dioxide put into the atmosphere from our home office energy use and shipping — including sourcing our wool from New Zealand and Australian partners, heating and cooling our home office, shipping bundles of merino worldwide, and driving to and from the post office.

Through the good folks at TerraPass, we’ve purchased carbon offsets to ensure that renewable energy projects and methane-capture projects offset our environmental impact. 

As naturalist John Muir once said, “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike.” Our children rely upon the beauty of Nature to inspire their imaginations and, as they grow, we hope they may always count Nature as a true friend and companion.

We thank you, our supporters, for being part of this journey with us. And here’s to all of your “self-appointed inspectors of rainstorms and snowstorms”* who find so much beauty and inspiration in the natural world. 

*Henry David Thoreau on his childhood exploring Nature.