If you are not familiar with the WOR, it is a very large gathering of all the leading manufacturers of outdoor gear, wannabees and small companies that gather to meet, party, sell, sell and beat each other at the race of the best latest gear to hit the outdoor scene.

Yeah, I am the paper bag princess who fell in love with dirt and all its simplicity, of not washing for twenty days on a semester-long Outward Bound trip, the one who said no to the charming tennis short wearing prince and found an unshaven, stinky, very badly dressed, grungy bum to live my life with.  I also left the big city for the small village life of mountain towns in Colorado and started a website.

And yes, now I am the one who loves the gear and looks for the best outdoorsy fashion out there.  Who hopes to come across the latest product that will make me and my website outdoorbaby.net the most famous and sought after for information for outdoorsy parents.  I even transformed my husband into a shaven, clean (sometimes two showers a day), pretty handsome dresser.

A few days ago I posted my top ten No-No list for Winter Outdoor Retailers (WOR).

Here is my Yes, oh, Yes, yes Give Me MORE list:

1.      Shoes:

These days our favorite shoes are Keen.  Can you realize my disappointment when I went to their showcase to be presented with some bla, bla teaching about each of their new boots? I almost took my shoes off right there . Then, somehow the whole thing was saved by the appearance of Keen’s CEO, James Curleigh, who talked with animation about the company’s vision (yeah, I know the things that excite me) and it made me realize that we are all humans trying to make it.  Maybe I will move to Portland just to hear him speak or to have all his staff go crazy over the cuteness of my daughter.

2.      Knives or understanding:

I had a lot of meetings to go to and many body parts to take care of.  I was late to some meetings, and missed some completely.  Patrick who represents Wenger, was the one person who truly got it when I ran into his booth and said I had to go, my younger daughter was melting down and the older one, even though she had just vomited two times, would not leave the show floor.

3.      Inner Peace:

Do you remember me 14 years ago, Prana, when I called you and convinced you that you should give New York City Outward Bound a pro deal? Well, I remember because I am probably the only employee that bought a whole bunch of stuff through you.  Anyways, when I visited your booth to say hello to my contact, your staff was so relaxed and unfazed by my crazy too much fluorescent lights and taking care of two children look.  August smiled at me, someone else gave my daughter some tea, while I just breathed a little. Then, I realized what I needed to do.  I went upstairs and visited Prana’s rejuvenation room, put down my six month old for a nap and did some mommy and me yoga with older daughter Cora.

4.      Smiles

To be greeted, taken care of and treated like one of the big ones is so wonderful.  People like Maura at Soar Communications and all the different vendors that take people like me seriously even though I come to meetings with children in tow and a dirty shirt.  Like, Kerri from Cascade Designs, that remembered ME, yes ME, from last year even though we did not have a chance to meet.

5.      Free stuff

I am still waiting for the free car, iPhone or computer since all three of these items are either missing from my life or on the way out the door.  But come on; it is so great that when you work so hard and are really trying that someone recognizes your children and hands them a cute water bottle (thank you Sigg)

6.      Hot girls:

There are many cute athletic men walking around WOR and for some reason there are also these made up, non outdoorsy looking girls walking around some of the booths…  So, high five to these women who batted eye lids at my husband  (or so he thought -- maybe it was meant for  our infant daughter) and confirmed that he is really cute....

and thank you to Royal Robin’s tattooed, dyed hair barista who gave me  FREE LATTES ( at the moment we have budgeted a once a week latte for this family, so you really added luxury to our tour), and an image of someone I can live vicariously through  (I really don’t see very many cool looking people these days).

7.      Mellow atmosphere:

If this show case was a technology show or a gun show I am sure that I would have been so discouraged and stressed out by the end of it.  Everyone was so relaxed and a general sense of camaraderie was in the air (for the most part; see also my No No list).  I think that it has to do with the fact that most of these people spend time outdoors and exercise their bodies on a regular basis.

8.      Helping hand:

People who help out are always great.  I was able to leave my daughters at the Colorado Rocky Mountain School’s booth on different occasions so that I could walk around unaccompanied.  It was great to visit the bathroom alone and to know that my daughters were either sleeping or climbing or playing with the slack line.

Stay tuned for my two other 2010 Winter Outdoor Retailer ( WOR) articles.  I am sure they will be as serious as this piece.

Heidi