The S.W.E.L.L. (Supremely Wonderful & Exciting Loot Lottery) winner for June is Club K&J member Jim Peters! Jim, who was randomly selected from the list of Club K&J members, wins a colorful assortment of 16 Kim & Jason greeting cards. We’re guessing that this prize should save him from having to make any last-minute greeting card runs for at least a little while. Congrats, Jim!

Do YOU wanna have a chance to win next month’s S.W.E.L.L. prize? For just $4.95 a month, you can become an official Club K&J subscriber today!

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This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is #9: Rebel With a Cause: Do one thing today to support a cause or issue you really care about.

Do you have a cause that tugs at your heart strings so much that it will bring you to tears (or close to it) in the matter of seconds? Whatever that cause or issue is, I hope you’re taking the time to share your gifts and talents in support of it. In the spirit of this week’s tip, I’m going to do the challenge, myself, by sharing with you about something cool happening this week, on a TV near you!

Many of you already know that Jason and I are VERY passionate about the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Serving as volunteers in the Wisconsin chapter, we’ve been able to experience the power of a child’s wish first-hand for the past six years of so. The organization does the work of angels, day in and day out.

This week ESPN is continuing it’s support of MAW for the third year in a row, highlighting sports related wishes in their My Wish series. Click here to watch yesterday’s segment featuring a fourteen-year-old boy named Akeem who is paralyzed from the neck down. His wish was to meet Ben Roethlisberger and to play video games with him. (You’ll never guess who won!) The new MY Wish segments are on each night this week at 6PM ET. They’re on again in the mornings, around 10AM ET. The special attention and care these athletes give is such a priceless gift to kids who’ve had to grow up way too fast.

Tell a friend (or two.. or three) about ESPN’s My Wish segments this week, and let the magic of MAW inspire you, as it has inspired us!

What’s your cause? How will you show support this week? Share with us in the comments of the Escape Plan blog!

For it is in giving that we receive. -St. Francis Of Assisi

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This weekend is Kim & Jason Escape Event #3. It’s an opportunity for every Club K&J member to join together to do something fun and childlike!

The secret messages detailing the unique challenge and new rules have been mailed out, confidential e-mail reminders have been communicated, and the grand prize has been revealed.

Now it’s time for the fun to begin! A full recap will be posted next week.

Club K&J Members: Here’s the secret link to all of the important information you need. Have fun!

Non-Club K&J Members: What are you waiting for? Quit missing out on all the fun, and join this instant! Cost of membership is about the same price as a single gallon of gas in California. Seriously.

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We are in need of a used digital camera. Something at least 3 megapixels. I know a lot of people buy new cameras and aren’t quite sure what to do with their old one. If you happen to have a decent camera sitting on the bench with life left in it but nowhere to play, I propose a trade.

If you’d be willing to send it to us (along with the memory card, cables, etc.), we’ll gladly send you a gift certificate to the Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand. Just let me know what denomination you’d need to make it worth your while.

Update: We got a camera — Thanks, everyone!

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Every Thursday, we pick out one of the cool things from the Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand and give it away. Yep, for free.

This week’s prize is a Super Bouncy Ball Kit. Create your own bounce-tastic balls with this fantastic super bouncy ball kit. This box contains approximately 500 elastic bands and easy step-by-step instructions to help you make your very own bouncy ball. The more bands used, the bigger the bounce, so have some fun with your friends and see who can create the biggest bouncy ball!

Here’s how to enter:

1. Just leave a comment on this post, answering this week’s question: “What inexpensive item did you have the most fun with when you were a kid?”
2. Deadline for entries is 11:59 pm CST on the day of the post. We’ll pick a winner from the list of comments on the following Friday.
3. We’ll contact the winner by e-mail to find out where to send the prize.

Good luck! And don’t miss any of the other cool stuff for the young at heart at The Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand!

**UPDATE: This week’s winner was Jen Wen:

PlayDoh. What I loved was that I could blend the colors and make all types of people–or aliens–or flowers, villages, rainbows. You name it. Eventually I learned to make a pretty good cheap replica of Playdoh with flour, water, salt, and food coloring (I think that’s all). My magnum opus was a scale true-color model of the solar system–I put it on a long plank of wood–ten feet at least, with the sun on one end and Pluto as a tiny PlayDoh dot at the other. Bus driver slammed the door on it, breaking it in half! Ugh! Said I was getting too old for PlayDoh, even if it was for a science project. I think I better go out an buy some PlayDoh tomorrow–it’s been way too long and for an icky grown-up reason!

Stay tuned next week for the next chance to win!

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How old were you when you did your first stress-relieving deep breathing exercise?

The NBC station in Charleston, SC recently did a story on the way a local middle school is reacting to the stress levels of their students. They now provide weekly announcements which include deep breathing and positive thinking exercises.

Students of every age are feeling pressure too from high homework loads, to overscheduled days. Cardiologist Dr. John Kennedy says ‘we all have stress in our lives so if you can teach kids to manage it early, we can protect them from the chronic problems of stress later in life.’

Agree?

Sure. Kids should learn how to react to the stress they are feeling. I have no doubt that today’s average middle schooler is quite stressed. Teaching kids to manage stress early is quite a good idea.

Here’s my problem…

This “solution,” although helping the short-term, is like putting gum on a crack in the Hoover Damn. Simply not going to cut it!

You have to go to the root of the problem to eliminate the stressors now before they linger into adulthood. It comes down to lifestyle choices… and honestly, much of this comes down to whether or not parents are setting adequate limits AND consistently enforcing them. How many extracurricular activities are these stressed kids enrolled in? I’ve heard (again and again) the argument that kids should participate in a variety of things so that that they will be well-rounded and have the opportunity to explore new interests that will help them later in life, but if the kids are feeling stressed by their schedule, then the negative effects are outweighing the positive. It’s time to say no to some things.

Then there’s the homework issue. I think schools are overloading kids with homework. Not every school and not every teacher, but I know it’s happening. I saw it when I was teaching. There’s nothing worse than homework that is “busy work”… the thematic crossword puzzles, the school projects that have very little meaning behind them. There’s something to be said for maximizing the seven daytime hours that are already spent in the classroom. It’s almost like we’re training kids to be workaholics, telling them that their daytime work is not enough, that they must also work into the evening. What a strange message to send.

Overall stability in the family is also a key element for a stress-free childhood. Stability comes in many forms. Are the parents frequently stressed? Are they able to eat dinner together with their family on a regular basis? Are they getting a solid night of sleep? How much time are they playing video games, on the phone, or on the computer? Are they able to watch anything they want on TV, being exposed to all of the societal crap that leads to enhanced peer pressure and self-consciousness? They have enough “reality” in the halls of their school, without being influenced by the crap on shows like Rock of Love or America’s Next Top Model.

No, it’s not healthy to shelter kids or force to live a 1950’s life in this naturally fast-paced culture, however I think many kids suffering from stress (Juvenile Adultitis) are missing out on the best parts of being a kid and are being forced to grow up way to quickly.

What do you think?

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The Cure Adultitis Institute has released a number of case studies featuring a certain individual with an unbelievably high level of Adultitis. As you might expect, this fellow loves to work, but have you ever wondered how he gets to his mind-numbing and monotonous job?

As a special treat for Club K&J members, we have decided to release some never-before-seen footage of the subject discussing his preferred mode of travel.

And in an extra special cherry on top sort of way, we’ve also uploaded bonus video of some of the bloopers. Enjoy!

Club K&J is now just $4.95 a month and comes with a bunch of groovy, way cool benefits. Designed for people serious about not taking themselves too seriously, it’s the #1 way to punch Adultitis right in the teeth. Don’t miss out — join the fun!

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It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.

Our friend Brett continues on his quest to interview people who are passionate about their jobs. He recently posted a video featuring Ray Karam who has one of the most demanding and difficult jobs for Coldstone Creamery.

He’s the Senior Tastemaster. His job is to taste, innovate, and create new flavors of ice cream. He gets paid to eat ice cream. Every. Single. Day.

The short video interview is worth watching, because he shares an important lesson. The people who have the coolest jobs didn’t get there by luck or by accident. The ingredient to success always includes heaping scoops of passion, persistence and old fashioned hard work.

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This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is: #10: Memory Maker: Create a memory today with someone you care about that will mean a lot ten years from now.

Last week Jason and I made one such memory. We had the opportunity to tour one of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles. Living in Madison, the official home base of the Weinermobiles, we’ve seen them around town a number of times. We have never had the chance to get a tour, though, from the official Hotdoggers (the team that drive and maintain the 27 foot long hot dogs on wheels). It was definitely a memory that Jason and I will share for well over ten years.

Summer is filled with opportunities to make memories. Whether it’s a baseball game, a pool party, or just grilling out with friends, take the time to slow down to a speed that allows for memory making.

This was one of MANY memories we made in the last seven days. Club K&J members will soon find out why we made so many fun memories last week… stay tuned.

Share with us in the comments of the Escape Plan Blog what you do this week to create a memory that will make you smile in 2018.

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We put together a 37-page eBook featuring a transcript of our entire interview with Bob from Sesame Street. How did he go from a childhood home with no TV to being a beloved cast member on one of the most popular children’s television shows ever? Who is his favorite Sesame Street character? What has he learned from working with kids? Bob answered these and more questions, and shared some behind-the-scenes stories from life on Sesame Street.

Club K&J members can download the eBook for free by clicking here.

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What happened to the lazy days of a child’s summer vacation?

When we first moved to Madison eight years ago I spent the summer working for a summer daycare/day camp. We had third through fifth graders. The daycare hours were 7AM- 6PM. This was the first time my eyes were opened to the reality of what summer vacation is like for many modern kids. As one of the many “teachers” we tried to give the kids unstructured time, in order to let them feel like they could enjoy the lazy days of summer. Honestly, though, there is only so much you can do. Maintaining sanity and safely in a program with 50- 75 kids on any given day requires structure. Lunch is served just like at school. Activities are planned, in order to keep order and balance. That’s a lot of kids to manage!

The kids were great, but I saw a cloud of disappointment over many of them that I just couldn’t shake. It took me a while to figure it out, but once I did it bothered me beyond belief and I was not able to participate as a teacher the following summer. It all came down to freedom- the freedom of summer, and many of these kids felt resentful of the school-like atmosphere. They wanted to be home… and free to do what THEY wanted to do. I couldn’t blame them!

I realize that the dual-parent career and single-parent households have little choice but to enroll their kids in a summer day camp setting. Many kids thrive on it (I’m guessing kids who are naturally extroverts), but for the introverted kids (at least 1/4 of them), a summer day camp can be a nightmare. By the way, for those of you who think being introverted means that you are shy, please read this article: “The Top 5 Things Every Extrovert Should Know About Introverts.”

So, what can working and single parents do to avoid resentment and allow their children the opportunity to experience the freedom of summer, that many of us look back on with delight?

Here are a few ideas…

1. Talk to your boss. Try to change your work schedule for the summer so that you work longer days, but get a day off each week, enabling your child to have a three-day weekend at home every single week. (Key point: DO NOT fill your long weekends. Keep them low-key and lazy.)
2. If you have a job that can be done from home, ask your boss if you can work from home a few days a week. Start on a trial basis, to show him/her that you will, indeed, accomplish your work. This will allow your child the chance to be in his/her own setting throughout the day.
3. Hire an in home babysitter. Trustworthy high school students are perfect for summer baby sitting jobs. If the cost is just too high, join households with a neighboring family (or two) and have the babysitter trade off which house is the host each day. A group of 5-8 kids is still better than a group of 55 kids. If you don’t know any high school students, talk to the principal of the local high school or the pastor of your church.
4. If you must enroll your kids in the day camp setting, limit the hours so that they are not there at 7AM and picked up at 6PM. Also, make sure their evenings and weekends are empty. No extracurriculars PERIOD. Since their day times are structured, provide for them the freedom of summer in different places.

Finally, a combination of the above ideas may work also. Here’s the bottom line… you need to ask yourself if you are living by rules that don’t exist. Don’t allow society and social pressures to convince you that it just “has to be this way.” YOU are in charge of your choices. Don’t blame others for what your reality is. Get creative.

Your kids will thank you later!

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Every Thursday, we pick out one of the cool things from the Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand and give it away. Yep, for free.

This week’s prize is the book Does This Cape Make Me Look Fat? Saving the world is hard enough, but what about the tests of inner strength faced by today’s harried superhero? Unafraid to tackle the tough questions, Does This Cape Make Me Look Fat? offers illustrated self-help guidance for the caped crusader on the subjects of costume choice and self-esteem, guilt and x-ray vision, getting along with a sidekick, thriving in the team environment, negotiating a secret identity at work, and more. The action-packed, comic book-style illustrated advice will help heroes conquer fear of flying, get in touch with super feelings, and choose the nemesis that’s right for them. Also including practical advice for avoiding lawsuits, coming up with a good catch-phrase, and maintaining super hair, this hilarious self-help manual–and sly pop psychology satire–brings the help heroes need right to their gloved fingertips.

Here’s how to enter:

1. Just leave a comment on this post, answering this week’s question: “Who is your favorite superhero, and why?”
2. Deadline for entries is 11:59 pm CST on the day of the post. We’ll pick a winner from the list of comments on the following Friday.
3. We’ll contact the winner by e-mail to find out where to send the prize.

Good luck! And don’t miss any of the other cool stuff for the young at heart at The Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand!

**UPDATE: This week’s winner was Kat:

My favorite super hero is the man of steel.
In his daily life, he knows how we feel.
As Superman he does a heroic deed.
He’s there for us whatever we need.
I like the fact that he lives like us
But when needed he can jump over a bus.

Even though this week’s contest is over, you can still buy your very own copy of Does This Cape Make Me Look Fat? at the Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand. And stay tuned next week for the next chance to win!

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