Create & Do | Escape Adulthood with Kim & Jason

Bring the Magic of a Drive-In Movie to Your Own Backyard

outdoor-backyard-movie

I love drive-in movies. Always have. My parents took us to a few double features when I was little. I remember my brothers and I getting to watch the first movie and then having to lay down in the blanket-packed back of the red station wagon for the second (and more adult-oriented) one. Last summer we took Lucy to see Brave and The Avengers at a drive-in theater about a half-hour from Madison. (She too, fell asleep during the second one.)

For the life of me, I don’t know why this American classic is an endangered species. Some of you may not have a drive-in theater anywhere near your home. Happily, I recently found a post about screening movies in your own backyard. Although it may require a little up-front money, it’s hard to beat the savings on concession stand food and overall convenience. (Plus, I’m willing to bet your bathrooms aren’t as gross!)

AmberLee (and her husband) cover everything you’ll need to consider, including ideas for the perfect spot, tips for what kind of projector to get, and even how to make your screen. Action!

Photo by AmberLee at GiversLog.com

Serving Fun as the Main Course with a Side of Crazy

missy-herman-spatula-city

Spatula City is a meal in which everyone eats dinner with unconventional utensils. Think spatulas, spaghetti forks and soup ladels.

Barbarian Spaghetti is when you eat spaghetti without plates.

Crazy might be when you combine them both. Continue Reading →

A Simple, Quick and Ugly Guide to Fun

hodge-podge

It is official: making ugly treats is a foolproof way to annihilate Adultitis. Indeed, forgoing the stress that can come from trying to create a confection that might make Martha Stewart weep tears of joy is not nearly as fun as concocting something that would have her wailing and gnashing her teeth.

Although we have extolled the virtues of cooking up ugly cakes and cookies for some time, we had not actually undertaken the task — until now. We used the latest Small Rebellion, aka The Ugly Treat Initiative, as a fitting excuse to jump right in.

It’s easy to be intimidated by some of the giants who have come before us, with cakes so ugly they’d make Sloth from The Goonies recoil in horror. But engaging in some ugly treat frivolity needn’t be a burden. We went a simple route, which proved to be quick and easy without shortchanging any of the fun. Continue Reading →

My Birthday Comeback Story

adultitis-hard-at-work
Birthdays come with a a lot of pressure! Everyone — including myself — hopes that it’s a GREAT day.

Some years this greatness is easier to achieve than others. Last year was a breeze. We played hooky as a family, savoring the early spring weather at the zoo. It was a VERY awesome day!

But this year (my 35th) was shaping up to be a real challenge. Continue Reading →

Small Rebellion #6: The Ugly Treat Initiative

ugly-treat-small-reb

According to the Interwebs, the first week of April is Laugh at Work Week. If there’s one thing work could use more of, it’s laughter.

Inspired by our most recent Champion of Childhood award winners who made an epic ugly cake for a co-worker, we are introducing a new Small Rebellion and we’d love to have you join us! It’s called The Ugly Treat Initiative, and the instructions are very simple:

Step 1) Make a delicious dessert that also happens to be really, really UGLY.
Step 2) Bring it to work to share.
Step 3) Enjoy laughter and improved morale with your colleagues. (And possibly be awarded a primo parking spot for a month.)
Step 4) Share your stories and pictures at one of the following locations:

Post them directly on this Facebook page.
Add them to our group on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/uglytreats
Share them on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #uglytreats

You can tackle the mission when it’s most convenient, any time during the week. You can make cookies, cakes, cupcakes, pies, strudels…anything, really. Just make sure it’s sweet and tasty. And butt ugly.

The only other requirement is the sharing part, even if it’s not an official place of employment. Eating an ugly cake alone does not generate much laughter. And please, share this Small Rebellion with friends, families, and mortal enemies. The more the merrier!

Need some inspiration? Try here, here and here.

Color Me Adultitis Free

girl-coloring

Fact: it is impossible to have Adultitis while drawing with a marker that is almost six feet long.

The picture above is from an art exhibit called “Color Me _______” at the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art. It is the brainchild of Andrew Neyer and Andy J. Miller. The artists invited attendees to become collaborators by adding the color to their work. Oh how fun that looks!

I think Crayola needs to make super-sized crayons and markers, stat. I wonder if I could fit a box of 64 in my garage…

Kites Aren’t Just for Flying Anymore

kites-on-ice

I’ve written before that one of the BEST parts of being grown-up is having the ability and the know-how to take awesome things from childhood to a new level of awesomeness.

camp-randall

The sweet photos above? No, they were not created by some guy in a small plane or captured with the iPhone of a blimp pilot. They were taken by a camera attached to a kite.

Yes, a freaking kite. You know, that thing kids play with on windy days? In fact, Kite Aerial Photography is a real thing. Google it. Continue Reading →

Snapshots From Our First Marathon

kim-run-free

Training began about a month ago. Perhaps that wasn’t enough time to prepare, especially if you have a hard time jogging around the block without feeling like you have to hurl. But Kim and I had each other to hold ourselves accountable and, as you can see from the photo above, Kim was all business. Continue Reading →

Woman Builds Cardboard Castle for Cats, Rejuvenates Creative Spirit

cat-castle
I recently wrote about the importance of being ridiculous. A few days after I posted it, I came across a photo of a cardboard cat castle lovingly (and impressively) constructed by Mindy Holahan. (You may remember Mindy as the co-host of the Nerdkicks podcast and co-originator of the Sidewalk Chalk Small Rebellion we instigated last fall.)

Let’s face it: few things are more ridiculous than building a cardboard castle for your cats.

I was curious to know the backstory behind this curious castle, as it promised to be a good one. So I asked her about it. Mindy told me that she had just moved from Philadelphia to Minnesota after ending a nine-year relationship. Although a “maker” by nature, she had little interest in creating much of anything in the six months prior to her move. There were many reasons, of course, but Mindy admitted that a big one was that she was sad that her life wasn’t turning out the way she hoped, which naturally sapped much of her creativity. Continue Reading →

23 Super Snowman Building Tips

snowman-building-tips
I put on my snow pants, boots and mittens and scoured the vast wastelands of the Internet to uncover a whole bunch of neat tips for making your next snowman the envy of the neighborhood. Please keep in mind that these tips are for building a traditional snowman, which is typically three snow balls placed on top of each other. If you want to get all crazy and create some elaborate snow sculptures, this is not the post you’re looking for.

These tips are for those times when you want to roll old school. Continue Reading →

It’s Always Time To Be Ridiculous

watermelon-with-mustache

“Watermelon with Mustache” by Jason Kotecki

“The right to be ridiculous is something I hold dear.” — U2, I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight

I recently became aware of a website called ridiculo.us, an online community dedicated to the encouragement, development, and execution of ridiculous ideas. Their most recent project is to fake a marathon. That’s right. On February 2nd, people all over the world (including me and Kim) are going to be taking and sharing pictures of themselves stretching, running, and finishing a marathon. They will be decked out in official race t-shirts and bib numbers. The only catch is that the race is 100% fake.

Even the most Adultitis-free among us might wonder why someone would want to fake a marathon. But maybe the real question should be, “Why not?” Continue Reading →

Making Memories Stick: One Sentence Daily Journal

day-one-journal

My memory stinks. And I’m not even forty. Perhaps that is why I am so interested in simple ways to record the cool stuff that happens in my life. Then when I’m old I can actually have some idea of what I spent my life doing. Continue Reading →

Messages in a Bottle: Make Your Own Memory Jar

memory-jar

At the end of every year, Kim and I sit down and review the year that was. We talk about what went well, what didn’t go well, and reminisce about the adventures we had and the things we accomplished. The hardest part is remembering it all! We review our calendar and archived to-do lists, and even though I’m amazed at how much you can accomplish in a year, I always feel like we’re missing stuff.

Which is what makes this idea pure genius.

Find a neat jar and put it in your kitchen with a pen and a stack of tiny paper nearby. Throughout the year, write down any cool adventures, funny stories, or happy things that occur and put them in the jar. Then on New Years Eve, read all the notes and bask in gratitude at the cool stuff that happened during the year.

Since everyone in the household can contribute, a highlight is reading the notes other people added over the course of the year. Even neater: a shelf in your house that features your memory jars through the years!

Looking for some fun ideas to make sure your memory jar is filled with awesome? Try this.

Hat tip to Jill Bodwin and Jaden Hair.

Superhero Fort Kit

superhero-fort-kit

Ok, so how awesome is this…a Superhero Fort Kit! Complete with sheets! Clamps! Glow sticks! The best thing is that you can make it yourself and then make the MONTH of a kid. (If you can dare to part with it, that is. Better make two.)

The ideas and photos come from the fun and awesome Meg + Andy, as does this handy list of what you need to make your own Superhero Fort Kit:

2 Twin sheets: ARC for about $2 each
Ties on the Sheet: old XL T-shirt
Rope: Hobby lobby for about $2
Flash Light: Dollar Store $1
Clamps: Dollar Store $1
Glow Sticks: Dollar Store $1
Clothes Pins: Dollar Store $1
Suction Cups: Dollar Store $1
Lightning Bolt bag: Some cheap gray fabric, yellow felt $2

Add this sweet DIY superhero cape and you’ll have to start calling yourself Lucius.

The Minivan Express

minivan-express
If you’ve been around here for awhile, you’ve probably heard of a Pajama Run. The Minivan Express is similar, but with a holiday twist. First, print up some golden tickets (templates here) and hide them under your kids’ pillows. While the normal bedtime routine is underway, prep some popcorn and hot chocolate in coffee mugs (with lids).

When the kids discover the golden tickets under their pillows, it’s time to grab some slippers and head for the family vehicle (doesn’t have to be a minivan :) to get their ticket punched. Then, with a soundtrack of Christmas music playing in the background, go for a ride around town looking at neighborhood light displays. You could also plan on stopping by the mall to get pictures taken with Santa or go ice skating if you have a rink nearby.

Family traditions are important and an easy way to create priceless memories that your entire clan will cherish forever. The Minivan Express might be a good one to start this year.

Credits: Erica at Confessions of a Homeschooler for the idea and Miracle Mama for the photo

Christmas Vandalism

outdoor-christmas-tree According to Wikipedia, “Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, an ancient Germanic people, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable.”

Most of the time vandalism is mean and perpetrated by jerk heads.

But what if an act of vandalism is done is a spirit of cheerfulness and actually adds or enhances beauty? Is it still called vandalism? Continue Reading →

Christmas Cookies Get Ugly

ugly-cookies-soyphet

What sorts of things do you do every Christmas, the exact same way, because you’ve ALWAYS done them that way?

What if you changed things up this year?

I’m not talking about the sacred, untouchable family traditions (although maybe I am). But what about the things you do automatically, without much thought and without any real meaning? What if, instead of trying to make your Christmas cookies look like Martha Stewart’s, you went 180º in the other direction and made them ugly instead. You know, on purpose.

The photos of the treats above are from my friend Soyphet, whose office held an Ugly Cookie decorating event this year. Ugly indeed. Funny thing is, I still want to eat them. And they make me smile.

Sure feels like a more fun and meaningful tradition than the boring old Christmas cookie swap.

Ben’s Barbarian Birthday Bash

Our nephew Caden was a big fan of going “Barbarian.”

A few months ago, as our son Ben’s first birthday was approaching, Kim and I wondered how we could make his party special. We were well aware of the fact that he would remember precisely none of it, so our focus was actually about making it memorable for the guests. Continue Reading →

Wishlist Christmas Ornament

Star Wars stuff was always in the conversation when it came to what I wished for from Santa, but I remember one year when I had Go-Bots listed as the top of my list. (He delivered, big time.)

I’d love to know what I was pining for those other years.

This ornament idea is a pretty cool way to record the visions that kept your kids on their best behavior through the Decembers of Christmas Past. You can buy one here, but I’m pretty sure you crafty types could figure out a way to make your own!

17 Surprisingly Practical Uses for Silly Putty

There is great debate in toy history as to who really invented Silly Putty. One thing is for sure: we can thank the American rationing of rubber during Word War II for its existence. The shortage of rubber was due to the Japanese invasion of many rubber-producing countries during that time period, which led the U.S. government to fund research into synthetic rubber compounds.

James Wright, the man who was awarded the patent in 1943, discovered that reacting boric acid with silicone oil would produce a gooey, bouncy material with several unique properties. Although it never became a suitable rubber substitute, it eventually become known as Silly Putty.

Interestingly, after his discovery, Wright sent samples to scientists all over the world, and not one was able to find a practical use for it.

The fools!

Everyone knows that Silly Putty is great at lifting comic strips from the newspaper :)

And in the past sixty-odd years, we’ve amassed a number of other surprisingly practical uses for Silly Putty: Continue Reading →

How to Make Rainbow Colored Spaghetti Noodles

Found this on the lovely Pinterest. Plain-colored noodles be gone! Here’s how you do it:

Cook spaghetti noodles, drain and cool.
Fill a gallon Ziplock bag one quarter of the way with water. Add food coloring to the water.
Add part of cooked spaghetti and mix around in the ziplock bag until noodles change color.
Drain, repeat with other colors. Place the noodles in separate bowls.

To keep abreast of all of the other stuff we find on Pinterest, you should follow me.

Photo by Henry Hargreaves

How to Make Glowing Chalk

Remember our epic Small Rebellion in which tons of people used sidewalk chalk to scribble inspirational quotes in public spaces? It was awesome.

In an effort to take awesomeness to a whole new level, how about making glow-in-the-dark chalk! We think it’s a great way to spookify your sidewalks this Halloween. Crystal from Growing a Jeweled Rose has provided the complete instructions for making glowing chalk. It requires making up some batches of glow water (how awesome does that sound?!) and fortunately, she has the recipe to that as well. Thanks Crystal! (And thanks to Kathleen Cummings for sharing the link :)

Dad Sends Son’s Train Into the Stratosphere

This is a cool story (and video) of how a dad sent his son’s favorite toy train into the stratosphere. Pretty amazing what one can accomplish with a weather balloon, an HD camera, a GPS-equipped phone, and a little imagination.

And after watching the video, it appears as though the train had the time of his life.

Hat tip to thekidsshouldseethis.com

Does Your Car Have a Kite Compartment?

I think it’s funny that even as our cars get more high tech, outfitted with GPS systems, heated seats, and hands-free calling, they still come equipped with glove compartments.

Glove compartments!

Although the glove compartment in my car is jammed with a great many things — manuals, napkins, straws, ketchup packets, pens that don’t work, and the like — gloves are not among them.

I got thinking about glove compartments when I was in Houston a few weeks ago for a speaking engagement. One of the audience members talked about a friend’s dad who always carried a few spare kites in the trunk of his car. That way, whenever they were out driving during superb kite-flying weather, they could just pull over and have some fun. And oftentimes, he would hand out kites to children. Continue Reading →