Good old fashioned fun...

By the end of the day, let's face it, we're ALL tired. And yes, insert TV and the decibel level in your home decreases multi-fold, barring the what to watch argument. My kids TV days started by me needing a quick "babysitter" for my 3 year old when I would put my 2 year old down for a nap (yes, my wee ones are only a year apart). It quickly turned into a crutch for us both. This became apparent  when the 2 year old dropped her nap and my 3 year old still requested "my" show. 

At this point, I sucked it up and played right on through the afternoon sans TV. Exhausted? Yep. Is this a good plan for everyone? Nope. I had the energy (barely) to outlast this phase. Gradually the requests for "my" show disappeared. Instead we built, read, baked and snuggled. Now at 6 and 7 my peeps have just clued in that there are shows on TV. Oddly, they don't ask to watch them... yet. They have, however, tried to convince me that my phone CAN do what so-and-so's mom's does. Apparently, "You can download it." :) 

It's a whole new world.

Here are some fun ideas if you feel like getting down into it:

1. Puzzles- In addition to the good old-fashioned kind, check out this site for fun new games:
The Logic Zone - Logic Problems, Logic Puzzles, Cryptograms
(these puzzles are great for the airplane and are easy to print out)

2. Cooking - always fun, though messy. It can take about 3 hours to bake cookies with kids under 5

3. Building. We love Quadrilla. It's hard to stop at just one set!

4. Reading time. Yep. When's the last time you all sat down in the middle of the day to read? We're working on that now, with surprisingly good results. It's hard for me to remember that this does not mean that since the kids are occupied, I should: empty the dishwasher, switch the laundry and pick up toys off the floor. It means: sit yourself down, pick up that tomb you've meant to read since college and talk story with your kids. Novel, huh?

Save Your Skin

Summer fun in the sun calls for lots of sun screen. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, with a staggering 3.5 million cases diagnosed every year, and sun damage is the cause of up to 90% of all visible signs of aging. It's often hard to find a good quality facial product for daily protection that doesn't wreak havoc on your complexion. Look for oil-free formulas, with broad-spectrum protection and at least 30spf. Here are a few favorites: 

Quality Over Quantity

In her new book, Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion, author Elizabeth L. Cline examines the negative economic and environmental effects of the mass production and consumerism of low-quality discount clothing. Americans own more clothes now than ever before, but we're buying cheaply made, imported products rather than higher quality pieces that we keep, value and mend. Trend-driven shopping and the success of cost cutting chains has turned clothing into a disposable good. This book traces the origins of the problem and provides tips on how to become a more sustainable, savvy shopper. Available on amazon.com June 14th.

Let's start the conversation...

The New York Times recently published an article titled "The Flight From Conversation" by Sherry Turkle. As a psychologist, author and professor at M.I.T., Turkle has spent fifteen years studying the phenomenon of our culture's tendency to use social media and technology as a distraction from real life engagement. The piece discusses our increasing reliance on technology to maintain a distant connection to the world around us, allowing us to avoid emotions like loneliness and create an edited virtual persona. As a result, the art of conversation, the ability to actively listen to one another, and our connection to humanity and nature all continue to loose value in our daily lives. Take a minute, unplug, give it some thought...maybe discuss it with a friend.

Here's the link to the full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/opinion/sunday/the-flight-from-conversation.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&emc=eta1

Our Wish For You…

May the saddest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past.

May you have warm words on a cold evening, 
A full moon on a dark night, 
And the road downhill all the way to your door.

May you live as long as you want, 
and never want as long as you live.

May you live to be a hundred years, 
with one extra year to repent!

May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light, 
may good luck pursue you each morning and night.

May the roof above us never fall in. 
And may the friends gathered below it never fall out.

The Reason for the Season

Tis the season...Too often we get wrapped up in the daily hustle, focus on the economic ups and downs, and hear outlandish stories of pepper-spray-crazed shoppers wild with greed. For the most part, people are happy to donate, volunteer and do good during the holiday season. But just maybe if we all try our hardest to start each day with the goal to make someone else's a little better, we could make this feeling last year round. Here are some wise words of inspiration:

• How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.  ~Anne Frank
• I expect to pass through life but once.  If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.  ~William Penn
• Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.  Happiness never decreases by being shared.  ~Buddha
• I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands.  You need to be able to throw something back.  ~Maya Angelou
• You must be the change you wish to see in the world.  ~Mahatma Ghandi (one of Jenn's favorite quotes)

Want to find a worthy cause to contribute your time, craft, love or money? Here's a great site to help you find the perfect fit: http://www.charitynavigator.org/

I.Love.Me.

Set your alarm for 5:30am. Don’t groan when it goes off and pull the covers over your head, get up and start your day. Put on a baggy top and running shorts. Go downstairs and pour yourself a nice big glass of iced water. Cut up some fruit and mix it in with yogurt. Add some granola. Now go outside. Stretch for 10 minutes. Skip for 5 minutes. Jog for 10 minutes. Run for 10 minutes. Walk back. Lay out a towel on the ground and lie down on it. Do 50 crunches. Yes, they hurt, but they are 100% worth it. When you’re done, get in the shower. Use a nice smelling shampoo and matching conditioner. Shave your legs and wash your body. Exfoliate your face. Get out of the shower and let your hair air dry. Look in the mirror. Do you like what you see? If you do, good for you. Do this every day and you will continue to love yourself. If you don’t like what you see, do this every day and pretty soon you will. Being lazy might feel good at the time, but being active feels better in the long run. 

Happiness Rules

1. Free your heart from hatred.

2. Free your mind from worries.

3. Live simply.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less.

And if you can spare two more minutes to read:

No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.

Disappointments are like road humps, they slow you down a bit but you enjoy the smooth road afterwards. Don't stay on the humps too long. Move on!

When you feel down because you didn't get what you want, just sit tight and be happy, because something better is on its way!

When something happens to you, good or bad, consider what it means.

There's a purpose to life's events, to teach you how to laugh more or not to cry too hard.

You can't make someone love you, all you can do is be someone who can be loved, the rest is up to the person to realize your worth.

It's better to lose your pride to the one you love, than to lose the one you love because of pride.

We spend too much time looking for the right person to love or finding fault with those we already love, when instead we should be perfecting the love we give.

Never abandon an old friend. You will never find one who can take his place. Friendship is like wine, it gets better as it grows older.