Many jubilant thanks to Coach Kammie for the shout out regarding this post and the Escape Adulthood manifesto. Too kind.
If you’ve ever thought that maybe you were meant to be doing something different with your life but wondered how the heck to even begin, you might take a gander at Kammie’s blog, Passion Meets Purpose. She’s got some good ideas.
Sales Servant Jenna pointed me to a very cool blog called 37days. The author of the blog was led to ask herself, “What would I do if I only had 37 days to live?” after her stepfather was diagnosed with lung cancer and died 37 days later.
Why is it so easy to take the time we have for granted? Are we so afraid of death that we avoid thinking about it at all? Or are we so vain that we think we’ll be the first one to escape death’s inevitable calling? In either case, I can say with almost certain assuredness that you — yes, you, the person reading this — probably figures you’ve got plenty of time left. Be honest, don’t you? (Don’t feel bad, we all do.) Continue Reading →
A few years ago when I first started teaching kindergarten I quickly realized that I had a lot to learn about kids and parenting. Five years later I feel like I walked away with a treasure chest of knowledge that I wouldn’t trade for the world, however there are still a number of questions I have.
The first one is this, “Did the person who invented juice boxes ever actually try out his/her invention with a child?” My guess is no. As a grown-up, I, myself, find it challenging to drink one of those things without squeezing it just a tag bit too hard and wearing some of it. How are toddlers and preschoolers supposed to know how to regulate their squeezes? There has to be an easier way! Continue Reading →
The How To Have a Mental Breakdown post was a part of The Biggest List of ‘How To’ Blog Posts Ever Assembled over at Problogger.net. It’s pretty much a treasure chest of some really good — and sometimes funny — information. Here are a few good ones that I thought might be of interest to readers of this blog:
In this podcast, brought to you from studio 203 in Madison, Wisconsin, we have a great insightful interview with Christopher Noxon, author of Rejuvenile: Kickball, Cartoons, Cupcakes and the Reinvention of the American Grown-Up. We also discuss stressed-out schools, a cookbook inspired by one of your favorite childhood toys, and ask the question, “Can TV really reduce stress for kids?”
Listen now by clicking play below. Continue Reading →
Never before has such a thorough, step-by-step guide to your very own mental breakdown been published, be it online or off. If you can master these easy to follow instructions, you too can be the envy of all your friends and find yourself well on your way to a life you’ve only dreamed of!
• Treat traffic jams exactly as they are: carefully planned and sinister conspiracies designed to keep you from your destination.
• Pack your day so full that you are not distracted by superficial things like the sunset, the smell of roses, or the toddler smiling at you from across the grocery aisle.
• Avoid the time wasting activity known as sleep. For best results, try to keep it under four or five hours per night. Continue Reading →
Jason and I are blessed by a growing friendship with a fellow NSA‘er, Eliz Greene. (The smiling woman on the right, in the picture.) She has an amazing story, which I highly recommend you read in her book, Passion for Life: Five simple strategies to find the happiness, satisfaction and zest you deserve. She travels the world encouraging people to bring balance and fulfillment to their lives every day. Sneak preview: She survived a heart attack while seven months pregnant with twins! Her passion for life is a gift that is contagious! I love being around her!
Eliz is a triathlete and has completed four to date. This amazes me….swimming, cycling and running. Wow! You go girl! Continue Reading →
It can be pretty easy to discount all this Escape Adulthood stuff as floofy (hmm…my spell checker informs me that floofy is not a word). I run in to a lot of business folks from all over who figuratively (and sometimes literally) roll their eyes when I talk about this concept of returning to some of the childlike traits we lost when we grew up. They’re in the business of making money, and have no time for all of this touchy-feely nonsense.
The funny thing is, if you really look around, the people making the most money are the ones who get the idea of Escaping Adulthood. The smart ones know that everyone likes to have fun, and if you can create and deliver an experience in which people have fun — even if the product itself is not generally regarded as fun, like a tea kettle — people will spend more money. It doesn’t always make sense, but it always makes cents… if that makes any sense. Continue Reading →
…when you point out something nice that somebody else said about you? Probably. But it’s also delighting in the little things.
But I wanted to link to a great review this blog got from Ian Griffin. He is a member of the National Speakers Association and a specialist in speech writing and executive communications, with a particular focus on communication across cultures.
I am proud of the review because it’s a little affirmation that after years of writing and tweaking and tinkering, I’ve got something that’s pretty decent. It’s nice to have someone notice. So thanks, Ian. And welcome to all the new visitors. Please don’t hesitate to let me know what I can do better.
Well, it’s been a long time coming, but Tales From a T-Ball Outfield: Kim & Jason Annual #4 is almost here. The first proof just got back from the printer and currently sits on my desk, awaiting a thorough review. This particular collection of comic strips (every single one from the fourth year — we just entered the sixth last month) is my favorite annual yet. Mainly because the art and writing are even more consistent, but I’m also quite fond of the cover episode about t-ball.
We’re about a month away from the official release, but you can be one of the first to own a copy. If you pre-order now — shameless plug alert! — you can even save a few bucks off the cover price.
By the way, we are now completely sold out of Annual #1. We do, however, have a small stack of them with slightly worn covers that we’re selling for only $5, which is nine bucks off the cover price. And, as the cheesy used car salesman would say, "Hurry! Take advantage of this amazing offer! This deal is only good while supplies last!"
The anticipation started about a month ago. Anyone who knows my husband Jason knows that he is very passionate about football season. He loves everything about it…the players, the rivalries, the highlights, the opportunity to eat chili and other yummy soups in your flannel pants, and also the fantasy football. Just talking about it all makes him smile from ear to ear, which is a big deal for someone who typically smiles with his mouth closed.
The anticipation has brought him great joy these last few weeks. Sometimes the anticipation is the best part of something. I can’t count how many times he has mentioned about this weekend and how great it was going to be. His childlike excitement has been so much fun to see. Continue Reading →
So what happens if someone doesn’t want to return to childhood? Well, at least not when it comes to their own childhood. I’m always quick to point out that it’s never too late to have a great childhood. That being said, one of the great tragedies in life is when someone’s childhood is ruined, particularly by abuse or… really bad parenting.
I’m not one for pointing fingers or blaming others — that’s childish — but for those of you out there who need some tips on getting past a less than stellar upbringing, maybe this book by Nina Brown will help. I cracked up at the title: Children of the Self-Absorbed: A Grown-Up’s Guide to Getting over Narcissistic Parents.
I have not personally read the book, but it might be worth checking out. You may find some good answers in there.
I just hope it doesn’t become the instruction manual for today’s kids.
Technorati Tags: Nina Brown, Children of the Self-Absorbed, child abuse, bad parents, parenting, childhood
Lots and lots has already been said and written about the late great Crocodile Hunter. But I wanted to call your attention to one more article about Steve Irwin’s death specifically because it really underscores what this blog is all about. Nick Coleman of the Star Tribune observes that Irwin’s passing is “the rarest of tragedies: the death of a celebrity that affects children and adults at the same time.” Here are some highlights: Continue Reading →
With Labor Day now behind us, for all intents and purposes, summer is over. When I look back to the summers of my youth, I fondly remember my mom ignoring my brothers and me as we complained of having nothing to do. Ok, ignoring may be a strong word, but I distinctly remember this being her favorite catchphrase: “If you’re so bored, I’m sure I can find something for you to do.”
Usually her ideas never involved a weekend jaunt to Disney World.
A recent article in USA Weekend by Ann Pleshette Murphy proposes that boredom is actually a good thing for kids. Continue Reading →
When I first saw Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter, I thought, “Now this guy is one big kid!” His boyish passion and wide-eyed enthusiasm were irresistible. Whether he was sticking his head in a crocodile’s mouth or picking up an irritated snake by the tail, I couldn’t stop watching. Needless to say, Kim and I were saddened to hear about his death yesterday. Continue Reading →
Jackson Pollock was an artist who created energetic paintings by splattering different colors of paint on large canvases. Now you can release your inner child — Pollock-style — at the Flash-based web site jacksonpollock.org, created by Miltos Manetas.
It’s a lot of fun, and you won’t even get paint on your keyboard!
Technorati Tags: Jackson Pollock, art, painting, inner child
The other day I was listening to a song which really spoke to me. It’s called “Life Means So Much” by Chris Rice. This verse and the chorus, in particular, really stuck out…
Every day is a bank account
And time is our currency
So nobody’s rich, nobody’s poor
We get 24 hours each Continue Reading →
